Blood In The Sand
by Eindriez
Summary: Rena Hikari had been kidnapped at the age of eight. Alone, in the darkness- she had one beacon of hope. As she escaped, her only thought was that she needed to get to him. Finally coming face to face with him for the first time in years, she realizes he's not who he was. He had turned bloodthirsty. Saving him is the first thing on her mind, but the past has come back to haunt her.
1. 1 - Welcome Home!

_**Hi! I'm the author. A short author's note before we begin, I'm going to be posting shorter chapters- also, there's going to be a lot of notifications from this story tonight because I've decided to split the chapters up into smaller sections that are easier to read! This is going to be extremely **__**long, but I've got a wonderful beta reader! I'm currently going through this story and adding more scenes now that I'm through what's technically the first 2% of the story. xD Bear with me, please!**_

**If text is bolded like this, it means it will be replaced soon with a much better-rewritten scene!**

**X**

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**X**

The crisp, cold morning betrayed the heat of the rising sun over the shimmering desert. Mist settled over the village, most things obscured by its touch. The sand muffled their footsteps, but three figures entered the sand village; one stopped, looking to the left and the right, seemingly lingering a little too much. They crouched down, sifting through the sand with their fingers before kissing the trodden path. The secondary figure pulled the first up almost violently, shaking its head.

Above them, a shadow stood on the rooftop nearest to the entrance, watching the visitor's every move. His eyes did not leave them, not even for a second, as they began to move down the main road towards the Kazekage's office. As he found them disappearing into the mist, he moved to the next building and the next, keeping them just in sight while staying out of theirs. They came to a curious stop, where the one who had kissed the ground beneath them turned back to the others, holding up a hand. It was clear the second figure tried to push past the first, but the first only shook their head. The third grabbed the arm of the second calmly, and the second settled down.

Particles of sand fluttered in the air around the one watching them, his eyes trailing their every move, no matter how slight. Who could be entering the village at this hour? His hand raised haphazardly, aimed in their direction as the sand beneath his feet rose into the air, slowly moving toward the figures. However, someone in a familiar outfit exited the building, and the boy let his hand go slack, releasing all of the sand into the morning breeze. Envoys of Orochimaru, probably, but at the last minute like this?

Suspiciously enough, the frontal figure once again motioned for the others to stay out in the open, and the Kazekage led them in. The boy's eye twitched. What was this? Putting two fingers up to his lips, he faded into nothing but sand, flowing against the current of the wind, before gripping the side of the window, his hand reforming first and feet giving him a good place to support himself. Putting his hand over his eye, sand began to twirl in a circular motion in front of the windowpane, forming into a realistic-looking eye.

That person that had entered the Kazekage's office stood before him, wandering. They walked over to the desk, picking up a photo and examining it before placing it back on the wooden surface. For an envoy, they were strangely invasive.

A distant, fleeting memory of the past, one long gone, graced his ears as he heard a voice he never thought he'd listen to again.

"It's been so long... so long since I've been..." The girl's tone was one of choking, all-consuming sadness as if she was trying to hold back tears. The shadow's teeth gritted as he boiled with rage. Confusion clouded his mind as he thought of the impossibility of their current situation. There was no way that the person standing in that office was the one he recognized her as. It was a trick. An illusion. Genjutsu.

"Your return was unexpected. You were proclaimed dead, but your remains were never found. You disappeared without a clue otherwise, leaving us with nothing to go by. Even when everybody else gave up, Sansa searched for years." The Kazekage took the picture that she had placed back on the desk, his thumb tracing the lines of the photo she'd been holding. "This is so unimaginable that anyone would call it a trick. But, I have no option but to face the truth now." A soft sigh came from the girl as she shook her head. The boy's nails dug into the hardened sand that made up the windowsill as his hatred built toward the man that was his father the more he spoke.

"Sansa... must have been so sad." His attention snapped back to the girl. There was somebody who he had to hate _more _than his father. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I didn't want to..." His rage boiled as his mind raced with thoughts of why she had disappeared in the first place. _She must have thought he was disgusting. _She must have been _afraid. _His perception of her had changed the minute she had spoken; he had once thought she was the only one who truly understood. Now, he knew- she was just like everyone else. She'd die the same. She _deserved _death. She'd been so scared that she'd run away for so long. She'd have been smarter to stay away. Only when her blood coated his sand would he finally cut any ties to his past that still lingered in his mind!

"Sansa is fine." The Kazekage's voice was monotone and unsympathetic, as his job usually called for. It still irked the boy every time he spoke, like the facade he put on in front of everyone was _believable._ Gaara couldn't believe that his father felt _nothing. _If he felt _nothing, _then Rasa and Gaara were too alike for Gaara's taste. "She has a certain fire to her that's allowed her to live on despite her misfortune." There it was. A _twinge _in his voice. Something that sets them apart. He recognized who his father was speaking about, at least- a woman he hadn't spoken to since the day their lives changed. "We thought you were dead, Rena, for the longest time. We thought you'd been crushed by..." His words trailed off as he searched for a way to put his thoughts into form.

"The Shukaku, right?" Gaara wanted to crawl through the window and have her choke on his sand. Rarely did anyone say the beast's name out loud, but Rena never did have any tact. Fearless was just another word for stupidity, and he'd never met another person as stupid as she was. He saw his father flinch at the mention of the monster that he'd sealed within his son. No remorse or regret. "I... guess that's the easiest way to explain why I was gone."

He knew it. He knew that Rena had run away from him. The silence in the room lasted for an unsettling, uncomfortable few seconds. "I don't know where you've been for the last six years. I only know that it's genuinely you." The girl placed her hands on the hood, drawing it down. Gaara's heart throbbed painfully as he clutched the spot. Her hair was around the same length it had been when they were children. It was clear the cloak had hidden most of it. She placed the cloth on the desk, doing away with it entirely. Her piercing purple eyes conveyed just how troubled she was about everything.

"I've been counting the days. He's almost thirteen now, isn't he?"

Rasa hesitated to answer. His hesitance is what made Gaara thrive off of hatred for him; he knew he was hated. "I think that we should speak more about your disappearance."

"I was kidnapped." The short and bittersweet statement was ridiculous. The boy was sure she was lying. She couldn't be telling the truth- she saw what he was and ran away! She let him think that she was dead, that _he _was the one at fault for her death! Who would even want to kidnap someone like her, anyway?! "I'm not really sure why myself. I met two people in a similar situation to me, and we escaped together. If everyone is already in a team... would we qualify?"

"You're still intending on becoming a shinobi? But you have none of the experience or training the others do. You don't even qualify as a Genin." Rena's upper lip trembled, but she bowed, her hair spiralling out on the floor underneath her.

"Please, Lord Kazekage! Allow me to prove my worth- I want to enter the Chuunin Exams!" The Kazekage remained stoic as he observed her, keeping quiet. "I want to do something for the Hidden Sand now that I'm back. I want to push myself to my limits and become stronger!"

"You just returned. I think it would be better for you to rest, become reacquainted with life here. Maybe we can even get you on a simple course for Genin. If you work hard, in a few years you may be able to-"

"_I've spent enough of my life trapped in one place!" _Gaara jumped at her tone of voice. This was new. He'd never heard her speak like that before. He didn't like new. "I'm sorry, Kazekage. I really want this."

Rasa's eyes softened as he stared at the girl. "You don't qualify for the Chuunin Exams. You haven't been on a single mission in your entire life. You're not even a Genin. You're so far behind the others that I doubt you'd be able to keep up. But... _think about this. _I won't discuss this any longer with you tonight, return to me in the morning after you've thought about it and we can discuss further. All I ask is that you question whether or not this is the best course of action for you." Was he really offering to break the law for this girl? With any other child, this atrocious behaviour wouldn't be allowed. Rules were rules. But... the woman that he saw in the child softened him up. He knew she wouldn't reflect, that she'd be just as earnest about her goals tomorrow with the exact same words, as her mother would; completely ignore any and all advice.

"I will, Kazekage! I'll think about it hard!" _Liar. _He almost chuckled to himself as he imagined Sansa in her place, with a more sarcastic tone. She was still young; she'd hide her brazen feelings for a while more. Charging headfirst into whatever she wanted with no second thoughts... it was a foolish thing to do, yet endearing all the same. Silence permeated the air between them for a moment more and he knew he couldn't avoid the topic he didn't want to reach any longer. "Kazekage... I want to see Gaara. It's been so long since I left... I'm sure he'll be excited to see me!"

Gaara's heart lept as he heard his name spoken brazenly, with a heartful tone. It had been forever since anyone dared to utter his name; he hadn't heard it in six months. It made warmth flutter around inside his chest. He glared at her, his impatience reaching maximum levels; he needed to get rid of her. That was what his body was telling him to do.

The Kazekage placed the picture he'd been holding back on his desk. It clacked softly against the wood. He adjusted it so it was at the angle he liked, so he could view it whether he was standing up or sitting down with no glare from the sun. "I suggest you direct your attention elsewhere, Rena. Gaara is no longer the person you once knew; he's dangerous and unpredictable. He's taken the lives of countless villagers." How could his father deliver those lines so _smoothly, _without any trace of remorse for his role in it like everything he'd done was Gaara's fault?

"Gaara is... dangerous?" She said it like she couldn't believe it. Like she didn't consider him a monster. She had seen him, though. Seen him as the Shukaku. "That's not possible, Gaara is the kindest person I know!"

"I have a counter-offer, Rena. That boy is beyond you now. He's been beyond help for a very, very long time. I'm sure that I can make your life in the Hidden Sand an easy one, free of poverty and fear. Please consider my request; Kankuro's of age now, a time where he must be thinking about the next stage in his life. Marrying the Kazekage will make sure you see comfort. Nobody will question your disappearance, they wouldn't dare."

"What are you asking me...?"

"I think that you should become Kankuro's fiancee. If you want to benefit the Hidden Sand and yourself at the same time, you'll do as I ask." Not to mention, it would get her away from Gaara.

"I can't..." Rena glanced away from the Kazekage, her eyes shifting to the ground as she took a step back, uncomfortable. "Kankuro is..."

"He's been smitten with you since you were children. Now that you've returned, I suggest you reconsider. You don't need to answer me now, but if need be I will make sure you will be taken care of." Rasa's heart skipped a beat as Sansa crept into his mind. He wondered if she would smile at him the way she used to, rather than avoiding eye contact and talking with him as little as possible.

"Talking to Kankuro and Temari is next on my list, but I'm not ready to think about something like what you're suggesting. Please just let me see Gaara! I'm sure that he'll remember who I am and he'll be himself again!"

He'd been a fool to think she would listen to him on anything. "You're just like your mother," He murmured. If they hadn't been related, there was no way Rena would have gotten away with any of what he was letting slip by. "His room is in the same place it's always been. Be careful, Rena. He's violent and I doubt he'll react well to seeing you again."

"I know it'll be okay!" A light, warmth-inducing smile stretched across Rena's face, a reminder of the carefree happy child she used to be. A foolish sentiment that Gaara would never understand. How did she smile like that? It was _wrong. _"Gaara will forgive me. I know he will. I _know _him." Rena turned her back to the Kazekage as she grabbed her cloak, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her, leaving only the Kazekage on one side of the window and Gaara on the other.

Rasa shook his head, placing his hands on the windowsill as he looked down. "You know only the Gaara of the past, Rena. The Gaara of the present day is nothing more than a mindless monster." A mass of sand shot past the window as the wind outside unsettled the particles, whipping against the Kazekage's window. "There's a sandstorm coming..." He watched it fly by for a moment more, before turning to his desk, preparing paperwork.

**X**

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**X**

Rena came to a stop in front of Gaara's bedroom door, memories flooding through her as she recalled the days she spent here with Gaara. She pressed her palm against the weathered door, full of cracks and mementos. They threw kunai with each other here when they were young, despite getting scolded endlessly by Sansa. Rena let her hand slide against the door, before lifting it and giving three, solid, heartful knocks. "Gaara?"

There was no response. After a moment, however, the door slowly opened, exposing his face. Something she missed. She wanted to burst into tears and embrace him on the spot right then and there and never let go, but due to the situation, it would be impolite and unwelcome. She had so much explaining to do and both of them had grown up, even if it hadn't been by much. She'd had years to come to terms with her feelings for Gaara, trapped in nothing but a dank cell, promising herself she would return to him someday. "May I come in, Gaara?"

Saying nothing, he stared her down, his eyes not moving from her face. After a few moments, he shuffled to the side, silently waiting. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. He was no longer the open, heart-on-his-sleeve child that he was. She had been told that he'd changed, but seeing it for herself was something else entirely. Entering the room, Gaara closed the door softly behind her to the point where she couldn't even hear it shut. She could see small flecks of sand floating in the air around him.

He had changed his wardrobe in the years she was gone. A rather form-fitting black shirt took the place of the almost identical garment they used to wear, a traditional child robe for the children of the Sand. There was netting on either of the sleeves, to which she exclaimed, "Are you a ninja, now, Gaara? I never knew that was something you wanted to be!" His pants were black as well. Surely that was hot during the day. Even if he didn't respond, she walked over to his bed, sitting down on top of the covers. They were still made and the bed was cold. Gaara always had problems with sleeping, but she didn't think it was this bad.

After a few moments of silence, Rena tried again to strike up a conversation. "So, Gaara, it's been a while!" She gave him one of her signature, warm smiles. 'A while' was an understatement. How dare she march into his room like she'd done nothing wrong? "How have you been?"

"...Different." Rena's smile widened. One word was better than no words! He was finally responding to her! Still, it was troubling- he wasn't the friendly, outgoing Gaara she once knew. He seemed so much lonelier, like he was holding all of his pain inside. Rena wanted nothing more than to make it up to him.

Gaara sat down, a gap in between them and she reached over to touch his hair, to brush a lock of it from his eyes. His glare stopped her cold, his eyes filled with bloodlust. "Don't touch me." Rena froze, hand midair, her eyes wide and he swore he could see terror. She had startled him; shocked him. He'd never expected her to try and touch him.

"Should... Should I leave, Gaara?" The sadness in her voice felt overwhelming and at that moment he felt more hate than he ever had toward his father or any of the villagers. He didn't know or understand why he was filled with such hate, but he hated it. He wanted that tone to disappear from her voice and never come back.

"It's five in the morning." She was surprised to hear him finally say more than one word. "If you go home now, you'll disturb Sansa." His reaction was quick and precise, knowing that Rena cared enough to not want to wake her mother.

"I suppose you're right," Rena mused, standing up. "I should go get a room at an inn."

"You should sleep here." It was an automatic response, but there was something in him stopping her from leaving. If he let her leave, he felt like she'd never come back. It was a move out of sheer desperation... and not something he liked. This wasn't normal behavior.

"That would be too imposing on the Kazekage and my companions-"

"The Kazekage doesn't have to know." Gaara stood from his bed, opening the closet and getting out a fresh set of blankets, laying them on the floor. "I'll sleep on the floor. Take the bed."

"But my-"

"Take the bed." He didn't like to repeat himself, and he didn't care about her companions. They could fend for themselves.

"But if you get a cold... it's drafty!" The worry in her voice irked him. She was as weak as he'd expected her to be. He would give her a lesson in strength later, but for now, he'd allow her a night of rest from her travels. Soon, she would learn he didn't care and that she shouldn't, either, which would lead to thoughts of her disappearing from his mind.

"Worry about yourself." As he shut off the light and got into the futon, turning away from her, she got into bed, squirming under the blankets. She got comfortable but stared at the mess of red hair that occupied the blankets. "You have insomnia, right, Gaara? It's probably worse than when we were kids, isn't it? Want me to sing for you?"

No response.

His eyes were wide open, but he was facing away from her. He couldn't sleep, but he didn't want to move and if he opened his mouth, it would be to object to her singing. So, he didn't.

"The night sky watches above, woven with glimmering love. Sleep, dear child, don't be wild. The thorns of roses might mean you harm but temper your heart- calm before storm. Thorns and branches and summer spirits too, don't you know I love you?" Her gentle voice somewhat reminded him of the past. The long nights they'd spend together where he couldn't sleep, where Rena invented lullabies as a child to try and find one that would put him to bed instantly. When she had succeeded, she found a rose on her doorstep the next day and the day after, and the day after that. The roses never stopped coming, but Rena didn't know what happened to them after she disappeared. Sansa's house had soon filled with them, but Sansa didn't mind. Rena wondered who had sent all the roses, chalking it up to one of Sansa's admirers.

Like that, the two slept, reminiscing of the old days separately...

X

Rena's eyes fluttered open at nine-thirty. Turning her head to the side, she noticed that Gaara had disappeared and the blankets he'd laid on the floor were nowhere to be found. The blanket she had been using had been changed to a much lighter one, which was a good thing because the heat in the desert would have baked her alive. The light breeze coming through the window washed over her face and she took a moment to bask in it, appreciating the natural beauty of the Hidden Sand.

Rena made Gaara's bed, tucking in the corners properly. It wasn't made to Sansa's standards, that's for sure. Sansa would flay anyone alive if she saw their bed like this... However, on the nightstand beside Gaara's bed, a small plate of fruit was lying there as if it had just been freshly prepared. She didn't think it was Gaara that had done it, as he was prone to getting sand all over the food whenever he did prepare as a child. Softly biting into the succulent fruit, she enjoyed the bounties of the Hidden Sand. She did hope Gaara left this food for her.

Picking up the plate, she exited Gaara's room and by memory navigated to the Kazekage's kitchen. Doing up the plate she had been using, she put it in the dish rack holder, before wiping her hands dry on a towel nearby. As she turned around, she saw a boy biting into an apple with his mouth wide open, eyes almost popping out of his head. The red fruit slipped from his hand, hitting the floor with a _plop _and rolling away. "He wore a strange hood and bizarre face-paint, but she didn't recognize him. If she knew him, she would have remembered him. "R-Rena?"

She tilted her head, looking him up and down. "Sorry... do I know you?"

"I-It's me! Kankuro, remember?! You may not recognize me- I grew taller since we last met. Come on, you can't tell me you don't remember me!" He stood up, dropping the apple on the table before walking over to her and grasping her in a giant bear hug.

"Kankuro!? But... you're so much taller!" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. Kankuro had been one of the shortest kids in the Hidden Sand, being teased viciously for it but he always took it in good nature.

"Kankuro, what are you...?" Another familiar voice. The voice paused as Kankuro put Rena down and got significantly closer. "R-Rena... it's... you?"

"Temari?"

She was suddenly embraced by the normally cold and usually unfond of physical contact Temari. It was like a miracle. She wrapped her arms around her childhood friend's body, hugging her tightly, taking in the scent that was indeed Temari's. She always smelled like cinnamon, even when they were children.

Temari's hug was much tighter than she expected, however. "Sis, let her go! You're gonna suffocate her!"

"I don't want to, Kankuro! She's back! She's _alive_!" As Rena struggled in Temari's arms, Temari gave her one last strong, close, hug before dropping her to the floor where Rena caught her breath.

"Yeah, well, now she's back I can start teasing her again and there's nobody here to stop me!" Kankuro felt like he was high in the sky now that his precious Rena was back. His father had notified him, but he hadn't believed it. He thought it was some kind of prank in poor taste, but then again, their father never made jokes. Now, there was the talk of a proposal in the works...! What reason did he not have to be on cloud nine?! Rena was back and his dreams would come true. What a life it is!

"Except for me, brother." To him, Temari's voice and aura were like that of nails screeching across a chalkboard and he jumped, turning to his sister's mad expression, sweat rolling down his face.

"I mean, within reason- I'll make fun of her within reason!"

The life in the room seemed to fade as an ice-cold voice joined the fray, both Temari and Kankuro freezing up, looks of terror crossing their visage. Piercing eyes watched their heart-warming scene with absolute disgust, scrutiny the only thing Gaara had to offer. "Why wasn't I invited to this loving reunion?" He asked, walking into the room in his full shinobi getup.

Out of the two, Temari was the first to regain her composure. "G-Gaara, we didn't mean to leave you out of anything. We just..."

Gaara's eyes shot toward Temari and she has paralyzed with fear again. His aura was completely different from last night's; he may have been impartial only three hours ago, but this Gaara... this Gaara was one Rena did not know. He leaned against a wall, crossing his arms, looking seemingly relaxed but the energy in the air was tense. "And you," His eyes slowly scanned the room, settling on Rena, "Who said you were allowed to make this much noise?"

It was as if the air in between them had frozen solid. She felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, shifting from one foot to the other. She had risked everything to get back to him, to see him again, to have the days of old be what she had once more... but he was a different person, a stranger. "Gaara, I apologize for-"

"Kankuro, Temari, let's go. It's time to train."

As he walked past her, it was like she no longer existed. The air went from frozen to nonexistent as he didn't even spare her a second glance and she was stuck in place, staring at the ground.

It was in this moment that she realized that maybe... nothing could ever go back to the way it was before and that is truly what hurt her the most. Gaara looked back between Temari and Kankuro, who started following him reluctantly.

"Training for what?" Rena asked, raising her voice and asking nobody in particular. Perhaps she was hoping for him to respond to her, but it was a futile wish. It was Kankuro who turned around to reply to her.

"The Chuunin exams in the Hidden Leaf. Gaara, Temari and I are entering as a team. We qualified!" Kankuro's rugged smile relaxed Rena some, but he waved to her as he moved to catch up with Temari and Gaara. "See you later, Rena! Sorry to be leaving so soon after finally seeing each other again... We'll talk after the exams!"

"Let's go." Gaara's patience was waning and the siblings could tell. Both of them followed silently from then on. Rena watched as they disappeared beyond the corner.

Rena watched as Gaara walked away, before sitting on her choices for a little bit. With how different Gaara was, letting him go away for a month wouldn't help their relationship any. In fact, it might _damage _it. She fiddled with her hands, a frown crossing her face. "I have to... I've _really _thought about it, I promise." She was even lying to herself now. Rasa's words echoed through her minds, an ominous reminder of the fact he thought she wasn't ready.

She ran back to the Kazekage's office, bursting through the door. Rena's palms slammed down on the wooden desk, causing the Kazekage to jump, almost spilling his coffee. He managed to recover just in time, a splash of black hitting his hand and he let out a low-pitched whine, holding in the pain.

**Bursting into the Kazekage's office, Rena slammed her palms down on his wooden desk, causing the Kazekage to jump and then readjust a photo that had slid an inch out of place. He looked up at her and similar to Kankuro and Temari, the Kazekage understood that he was in trouble from the expression on her face. "R-Rena... What's wrong?" He hadn't been too on guard, because of the peaceful calm in the village that morning and the fact that Gaara didn't lose control. He made a mental note that now that Rena was back, the village would find itself in a bit more trouble... especially because she got her attitude from Sansa.**

**"I demand to be qualified for the Chuunin exams!" Rena shouted, causing the Kazekage to slap his hands over his ears. As he expected, her lack of growth came from her kidnapping.**

**"Please lower your voice. And-"**

**"Chuunin exams!" Rena turned up the decibels a bit.**

**"You can't just... we're sending Gaara's team for a reason, and-" The Kazekage attempted to cool the situation down before it got any more heat.**

**"Chuunin exams!" Rena screeched as loud as she possibly could, probably waking up the entire village if anyone was still asleep by now.**

**Gaara turned to their home, bewildered, although it didn't show on his face. Was he hearing her voice now...? He needed to get away from her before anything like this got even worse... Looking over to his sibling's faces, he confirmed that he was not the only one who heard that loud, nightmare-inducing screech.**

**"FINE, GOD DAMN IT!" The siblings were even more bewildered hearing their father's voice and his loss of self-control. "Anything if you'll just _stop_!" The shout alerted quite a few people in the main square, also looking quite confused.**

**"Very well, sir! If you insist, I will bring honour to the Hidden Sand!" The Kazekage's eye twitched. "I would like you to know my team. They're rather new... the first is Marionetta. First name Manipulative. It's a rather exotic name, isn't it? My second teammate is Suno Akagari! He's more like us, I think. Anyways, Marionetta prefers her last name to her first and if you refer to her as her first name she gets upset and starts hurting people!" The information came at far faster a pace than Sansa usually threw things at him. It was hard to keep up with Rena Hikari, harder than Sansa, even. That was an achievement rarely seen upon this earth.**

**"Suno Akagari... that's a legitimate name nobody will question, but we'll have to give this Marionetta a more localized name. Pick something."**

**"Pick something _now? _Ummm... damn. Tsukiyomi?" The Kazekage looked up at her as if to say _really? _Before jotting it down on the cards he had pulled out of a drawer in his desk and sealing them with his crest.**

**"Suno and Tsukiyomi Akagari." He finished writing on the cards he had produced, drawing back his ink pen. "Do not lose these cards, Rena Hikari. This allows you to walk about Konoha freely without question. It also shows your qualifications to enter the Chuunin exams. You'll be leaving the village on short notice- in other words, tomorrow. I suggest that when someone asks questions about you being a Genin, you avoid them. What I'm doing for you is illegal, you know." He offered them in Rena's direction, but being reluctant to let go, Rena had to tug them out of his hand. "Don't screw this up."**

**"Don't worry, Lord Kazekage. With these Chuunin exams, I and my team will prove ourselves as worthy of the Hidden Sand... and maybe, then, you can consider giving Tsukiyomi and Suno citizenship?" Rena winked at him, eliciting a long, drawn-out sigh from the poor man.**

**"We will talk about citizenship upon your return when you've proved your worth. You don't even realize what you're getting yourself into and if you would have simply just stopped and waited a month for them to return-" the slamming of the door signalled that the girl hadn't even been listening to him. Like Sansa, indeed.**

**The Kazekage had photos of two women on his desk. One of his previous wife and another of a black-haired woman with blue eyes... he looked at the black-haired woman longingly. "Is this enough of an apology, Sansa...? Can you ever forgive me? After the Chuunin exams..." His head tapped lightly on the table as he buried his face in the wood. "I can't steal you away from him. You've moved on and I know I shouldn't disturb you, but I still..."**


	2. 2 - Kunai Wall Run!

Rena walked with her new team at her side. "Tsuki...yomi..." The woman, whose expression was similar to that of a porcelain doll's, unchanging and absolute, with light blue eyes and hair as golden as straw, sounded out the words. "I don't understand. My designation is Marionetta. Why must I be Tsukiyomi?"

"I'm sorry, Marionetta. They don't understand the names of foreigners. Your appearance might scare them, too." It was true; Tsukiyomi's skin was a brilliant, pale, unblemished white. Her expression never changed and her voice was free of any emotion, as picture-perfect as a doll...

Suno walked behind them, his hands behind his head as he took greatly exaggerated steps. "Ha! I guess I'm better off than _Tsukiyomi. _She must be from somewhere pretty crazy, seeing as I've never heard of a name like that before."

Rena turned to face the two. "Don't make fun of Tsukiyomi, Suno."

"You should listen to our Master." Tsukiyomi said as Suno slung an arm over her shoulder, giving that lecherous grin that would become his trademark smile.

"Reeeeelax. I'm completely loyal to Rena, but you're a little broken, aren't you? Master? What are we, slave drivers?"

Rena shook her head, sighing. "Stop it. I knew when I met you, you'd been places I didn't understand..."

"Oh? Are you jealous?"

"And you're a disgustingly notorious womanizer."

"Hey, I don't choose the game, the game chooses me."

Rolling her eyes, the three proceeded to the Hidden Sand's training ground. It was right next to the wall, so it was half in the shade, half out and rather massive. Kunai were scattered all over the wall- Rena remembered this.

_Listen, Rena. Someday you're gonna have to do the Kunai Wall Run. Make it up the wall in one piece or don't come home the night you fail!_

Yeah, thanks to Sansa's endless nagging. It was something that had been imprinted into her head since she was small: she must succeed someday at doing the Kunai Wall Run or shame the Hikari family name. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the massive wall before her, the marks of those who failed to climb. Everyone was only ever given three chances at the wall; the first time they entered the academy, the first time they graduated and the time they become Chuunin. Sansa was famous for entering the Sand Village and doing the run after her pregnancy to get her citizenship. The Kazekage had challenged her and she had accepted. The only difference was that it was raining and the wall was nearly impossible to climb and as slick as a slip n slide. Rena wanted to match up to her mother; she contemplated trying the wall, as she was sure she would come back a Chuunin.

Walking towards the wall, she ignored the sand siblings who were training with a few select Jonin, straight up to the wall. Kankuro was the first to notice her advance. "Hey! Rena, as much as I enjoy your visits, this place is for Chuunin examinees only."

"Well, Kankuro, as much as I enjoy _your _visits, I am a Chuunin examinee."

"What?" Kankuro was visibly surprised, but Rena didn't stop there. She stood in front of the wall, looking up. "Wait, you're not seriously thinking of trying out the wall, right? You need a witness." He looked back at Tsukiyomi and Suno. "A Hidden Sand born witness. No outsiders."

Rena paused, before looking back. "I nominate Gaara as my witness."

"Huh? Why not me?!" Kankuro complained, almost crying over not being picked.

"Because you'd probably lie and say I did well or something."

"I believe her." Temari was training with her fan, swiping it back and forth to block incoming projectiles.

"Dammit! Why do you guys always gotta team up against me?"

Still, Gaara paused for a moment, his eyes shifting to Rena momentarily. "I refuse."

"I didn't say you could refuse." Most of the Jonins shrunk away, not wanting to interact with Gaara. He was training alone for the most part. Rena grimaced. Was this always how it was? "Come on. Witness me."

"..." Gaara slowly walked over to the wall, before staring it down. "Fine. I accept. But my witness statement probably won't be accepted." So that's how it was in the Hidden Sand. With the way his father spoke about him, of course, their rituals and customs wouldn't include Gaara. She didn't want to know how much he'd been excluded from, so many stories of honour and glory from Sansa that they'd both listened to in their childhood and he wasn't even able to participate in anything despite the fact his eyes sparkled so deeply when being told about them. At least, they once did.

"Alrighty! Don't worry, Gaara, I'm gonna do it!" She was pumped up now. A Jonin came forth, holding a pouch and his hand out. They exchanged pouches. This one only had thirty Kunai and nothing more. The wall stretched so high that she didn't doubt it would take at least 400 to scale the entire wall... but she was given thirty and whatever was on the wall. She looked for the mass of kunai, something that would make it easier to climb.

She took out her first Kunai, embedding it into the wall and stepping on it, hoisting herself up to another. Her Kunai caused her to slip, but by then she had a grip on the new one. Taking another Kunai from the pouch, she dug it into the wall, using other Kunai to propel along her feet as she used the singular one to make the climb up the denser populated part of the wall.

As she grabbed whatever footholds she could, jumping from one to the next with a few faulty ones almost spelling the end of her Kunai Run. As she reached a break in the formation, she began using her kunai, but it was getting harder to hold the grip she had on the wall. As she progressively moved faster and faster up the wall, there came a time when she reached for a kunai, but it wasn't there. Slipping, she felt herself lurch and only the empty, blue desert sky was in her line of sight.

At this moment, everything else ceased to exist. There was nothing but her and the empty sky, with her feeling as light as a feather, falling for eternity. She felt true peace, where there was no pain, suffering or heartache. It was a waking dream and she closed her eyes, waiting for impact- but it was as if she fell into someone's arms, as light as a feather.

"Lady Rena! Are you okay?!" Suno asked, having jumped to catch her, his grip iron on her body. She stood up, steadying herself, before turning back to him and nodding. Kankuro had already advanced and was beginning to grill her about several rather unnecessary questions, trying to make sure that nothing was wrong.

Gaara's hand twitched. He had raised it halfway, more of a reflex than anything else. Sand swarmed up the wall to where Suno had jumped and he released the tension, letting his arm fall back to his side, looking away. He didn't understand why he did what he did, but it wouldn't be happening again.

Temari watched him, somewhat surprised. This behavior was unlike her little brother and although nobody was watching him, she swore he had utilized the sand he controlled to try and _save _Rena. No... it was impossible. Just... he had to be doing anything else. But, if Suno hadn't caught Rena, would Gaara...? She couldn't think about that now.

"We have to get back to training. I tried the wall and I failed... which means we need to be more prepared!" Rena smiled at her companions. "Come on! We have to be the best!" As Rena ran over to the other side of the field, she waved and jumped around. Suno waved in response, his behavior outgoing and fitting of someone with such catlike reflexes, while Tsukiyomi was as neutral as ever. She followed along with Rena's directions as they prepared to fight.

Temari, whose fan was open, sighed as she snapped it closed, looking in Rena's direction. She had a lot on her mind.

_Temari. When you return from your mission in the Hidden Leaf, I have selected a prime candidate to be your husband. You will marry him and if Kankuro fails to produce an heir, your firstborn male shall be the next Kazekage. You shall secure the future of our family and in doing so bring honor to the Hidden Sand._

"Down in the dumps, sis?" Asked Kankuro, giving her a sheepish smile as he glanced over at Rena. "I'm... kind of worried. I don't think we should let Rena join the Chuunin exams..." Temari's glare was enough to run chills down Kankuro's spine. "A-am I going to be murdered for saying that...? Sis...?" She had trained him to fear her annoyed glares over the years. He never quite knew what his sister was thinking, even if they were close.

Temari wasn't one to consistently feel bad about herself, but from the beginning, she was told it wasn't possible to become the Kazekage. Even if other villages had a woman as the Kage, the Hidden Sand was not one of those other villages. Tradition was held in high regard and tradition rarely made a woman a high-ranking military official. Even in the military, woman to men was a one-to-twenty ratio. Women could not become Kazekage.

She felt sorrow for Rena, knowing that her fate was similar to the poor girl's. She'd just returned and already an arranged marriage with Kankuro was in the works. Kankuro was pushing for it, too- ever since they were kids, Kankuro had almost always wanted Rena since the very first moment they met.

Temari understood her place, that she would never have a chance at Kazekage in this day and age, that it would go to Kankuro as planned. At least her chances were better than Gaara's. He'd never see any type of power in any branch of the village. He was, after all, a monster. Perhaps having Rena as a sister by way of marrying Kankuro wasn't that bad, but Kankuro was rather one-track-minded. He wouldn't think of whether Rena wanted to marry him or not. It was already pretty much too late to change the proposal- the Kazekage was trying to do it through Sansa. That was a whole other complicated relationship...

As Temari watched Rena and her new companions run around the field, she remembered the first time she ever met Rena, the day that not only Gaara was intoxicated and enamored by her; it was impossible _not _to be. Her boundless, endless happiness and overwhelming optimism couldn't be real. There just wasn't someone who never cried, but Temari didn't think she'd ever seen Rena cry. Always a smile plastered on her face, always the one picking other people up off the ground. Rena's knack for getting into trouble and the way she lightheartedly interacted with everyone, whether it was the children of the Kazekage or the Kazekage himself, was a breath of fresh air. Even their father liked her, which is why he was so eager to have her in their family. Another reason was probably Sansa herself.

But still... the day they met was fresh in her mind.

X

As Temari and Kankuro walked through the village, the sun in the distance setting, both of them felt slightly outcasted. Another day of only playing together, while the rest of the children feared to even approach them. Kicking a ball back and forth, both were silent as they'd rather not communicate their thoughts of loneliness. To do so would be a weakness, and the family of the Kazekage could not show any. "Kankuro..." Temari stopped the ball, one foot on top of it. "Do you think that... our traditions are right?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" As always, he was as clueless as ever. He felt the crushing loneliness of being avoided, but at least he had his sister.

"That we deserve to be feared like this- that nobody comes near us."

"Well, sis... it'd be an insult to the Kazekage if just _anyone _came to play with us. We can't play with anyone from the lower-born Hidden Sand and there aren't many higher-born around our age at the moment. Everyone is younger."

"Yeah, but..." Temari sighed. "Never mind. You wouldn't get it."

As Kankuro rounded the corner, not paying attention to where he was going, he bumped into a flurry of purple hair. Both victims fell backward, Kankuro landing flat on his ass while the girl landed on top of him. "Owww! What the... hey! You!" He shoved the girl off of him, scrambling to get up. "Don't you know that I'm the son of the Kazekage!?"

As the girl struggled to get up from the dust she had been left on, she looked up at Kankuro, her purple eyes wide. "You are?"

"Yeah! It's basically a crime to touch me, especially if you're lowborn!"

"Really?" The girl got up from the ground, sweeping off the dust. "So... like this?" Reaching out her then-tiny hand, it pressed against Kankuro's cheek. He flushed bright red, before screaming and stepping back.

"W-what the... didn't I just say that's a crime?!"

"Liiiike... this?"

The girl began to poke and prod Kankuro all over, which resulted in him getting angrier and angrier. "Hey!" Both paused when they heard the ring of Temari's laughter in the air. Kankuro and the girl's heads turned to view Temari, who was nearly crying at the sight of the assault.

"You're a riot, girl! Who are you? What's your name?"

The girl retreated her hands from Kankuro's personal space. "I'm Rena! Rena Hikari."

"Sansa's kid, right? Relax, Kankuro. She's two years younger than you, and one younger than me. A nine-year-old and a ten-year-old beating up a seven-year-old? What are we, monsters?"

"But- But she touched me!"

Ignoring Kankuro, Temari turned to the girl. "Are you not afraid of us, Rena?"

Rena looked between Kankuro and Temari. "No... I don't know why I should be."

"Well, we're the son and daughter of the Kazekage."

Rena paused for a moment. "Why does that mean touching you is illegal? That sounds stupid. I'll touch that guy, no matter how many times he says I can't just _because _he said I can't!" She pointed at Kankuro, who flushed a bright red.

"I-I-I, you!"

"It looks like she has a crush on you, Kankuro."

"A crush?" Rena asked, tilting her head to the side.

"It's what happens when you like someone! When you like them a lot!"

Rena flushed red at that moment, thinking of a certain red-haired individual. "Y-yeah... I have a crush. A big one."

It was in that moment that Kankuro stopped seeing red; his face flushing, it fell into gentler features as his heart skipped a beat. Him? She had a crush on him? Grabbing his chest, thoughts ran across his mind, the first of them being _that she was way too god damn cute! It should be illegal! It's illegal, he'd get his father to make how cute she was illegal!_

From then on, the sand siblings had gained their first friend. They didn't know of her attachment to Gaara until later, but Kankuro had fallen head over heels in love with Rena. It even prevailed through their childhood... endless questions of how to make Rena his, pestering their father for an arranged marriage which Sansa had to reject several hundred times even though Kankuro tried to ask her for permission.

When he thought she was crushed by the Shukaku, any notion of being Gaara's brother fell through the floor. Kankuro began to despise Gaara, but most of all fear him. Night terrors of the Shukaku kept him up; he started sleeping less, crying himself to sleep. Losing Rena had meant so much to him and now that she was back... Well, it probably looked like the ultimate second chance to Kankuro. If he was annoying when he was a kid, watch out Sansa- he'll be more insistent now than ever.

X

A smile played on Temari's lips as she finished her reminiscing. It was true, Rena had been their first real friend- and after her, making friends was much easier. Lowborn or highborn, either way, Temari went out of her way to do her best to be the best her she could when it came to what she wanted. She may not be able to worm her way out of this one, though... but Rena was still the same Rena she'd always been. Temari was glad Rena was back and hoped that she'd continue to stay back.

"Haaaaa!" Striking the kunai out of Tsukiyomi's hand, Rena turned the tables of the clash they were having in the background while Temari wasn't paying attention. She put in a last burst of speed, her kunai at the edge of Tsukiyomi's throat, to which Tsukiyomi consequentially fell over. Flopping onto the ground, Tsukiyomi struck a dramatic pose, the back of her hand gracing her forehead signaling distress.

"Oh, no. I have been defeated. I require a handsome prince to save me." The way her voice presented this information caused Kankuro to snicker, slapping a hand over his mouth. It was completely bland, void of emotion- but he found it funny nonetheless.

Charging toward Rena, Suno picked up one of the shurikens that had been embedded in the ground as a result of the fight, running straight for her. "Don't worry, Tsukiyomi! This handsome prince will save you!" As he whipped the shuriken at Rena, she was barely able to dodge them in time, skidding back, on guard.

"A _handsome _prince, please."

"I AM HANDSOME!" Suno yelled, insistent. Throwing another shuriken, Rena deflected it with her kunai, only to get kicked back by Suno. Rena fell to her knees, her hands in the air.

"Aaaaggggh! You have won this time, Suno Akagari! But...!" She pointed in the direction of Temari. "I will return someday and I shall bring skilled warriors with me!"

"Why are you including me in this?" Temari sighed, shaking her head. Secretly, she was amused.

"Why aren't you including me?!" Kankuro looked like he was about to cry just because he wasn't picked by the girl he loved.

Suno knelt by Tsukiyomi, picking her up princess-style. "I've got you, Princess Tsukiyomi. As for you, Evil Lord Rena, I shall wipe any skilled warrior you procure off the face of the earth!"

Tsukiyomi began to clap in Suno's arms. "I am saved. Thank you, brave knight. All the gold in the treasury will be yours." Her empty voice caused a jonin to burst out laughing and soon more joined. Although they had been initially annoyed by the distraction, everyone began to clap and laugh, except for Gaara, whose face darkened.

"I love shows like this! Encore, encore!" Called Kankuro, more than excited. He'd redo it as a puppet show for Rena later- when they were kids, she used to love his puppeteer skills.

"Leave the area immediately." Kankuro froze and Temari gasped, Gaara's face exposing his rage. The Jonin backed away from him as he strode toward Rena, his expression icy. "You're nothing but weak. Leave this place. You don't belong here."

Rena got up from her knees, brushing the sand off before staring at Gaara, frowning. "I don't want to leave."

"Then I will make you." He rose his hand to her chest level, sand swarming around her.

"Gaara! Stop it!" Kankuro yelled, taking a step forward. Gaara's glare pierced him through, causing him to stop in place. He couldn't move. His eyes widened in terror, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes before stepping back, stepping down like a beaten dog. He looked away, anywhere but at Rena, ashamed at his inability to stop his little brother.

It began to wrap around her tightly, all the way up to her neck. "Sand Coffin." It was in this moment that Gaara was staring at her, watching her struggle to escape the sand, his fingers curled not yet into a fist but getting there, that he let his digits go limp. The sand faded into the wind of the desert, releasing Rena. "Don't disturb me again."

He began to walk away from the field, leaving only confused onlookers and a Rena that didn't quite know what to do. Conflicted, she brought her arms up, hugging her own body. The sand hadn't been forceful, but gentle. Uncomfortable at points and somewhat scratchy, maybe, but there wasn't a single mark on her. She could struggle because he hadn't been constricting to her movement. There was a good inch between her and the sand the entire time... was Gaara just attempting to scare her off?

X

The day of the departure had finally come. The Kazekage stood atop his office, looking down at the people below who were eager to hear him speak. He loved his people and his people loved him. "Now I know all of you have been waiting eagerly for this day," He began, the crowd quiet, the citizens of Suna listening to the man they idolized happily, "The day the Hidden Sand enters the Chuunin Exams. We are here to honour these brave Genin!" The crowd cheered at that statement, the ruckus causing Rena to look outside, opening the door ever so slightly. They were in the main hall out of the Kazekage's office and the shinobi of the sand were making a sort of barrier so that the teams would be able to pass by undisturbed, all the way to the entrance of the village.

It was like a sort of parade that the entire village gathered excitedly for; Rena had only seen it a few times in her life when she was young- it was a Hidden Sand custom, meant to honor their eligible shinobi. It was a coming-of-age moment in any Genin's life, after all.

"As our Genin walk the trodden path so many of their predecessors did, show them your support! They are proud members of our village! We all wish you the best of luck and hope you return safely with the title of Chuunin!" The crowd's roars became deafening as one of the Jonin by the door swung it open, causing Rena to jump back. He raised his eyebrow as if to say _what the hell are you doing,_ before gesturing to the door. "Our first team is a new one! The team's name is Jumping Scorpion, chosen by the leader herself- a return to the Hidden Sand!" As Rena stepped out into the light, the crowd went silent. She shielded her eyes from the light of the sun, waiting for them to adjust, before dropping her arm. Behind her, Tsukiyomi and Suno took in the sight of the crowd. "Many of you will recognize that purple-haired troublemaker from childhood. Rena Hikari has returned to us, daughter of Sansa Hikari!"

A few in the crowd erupted in cheers yet again, most of the village knowing Sansa as a warrior of the Sand. She was rather popular amongst the villagers. Still, the thing that surprised Rena was that right there, in the front of the horde, Sansa gripped the barrier until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes were wide, mouth hanging open- and then Rena remembered that she had forgotten to check in with Sansa. Tears dripped from the woman's face, her emotions a mix of joy and surprise and wanting to sob in relief. What a reckless, inconsiderate child she had... a reckless, inconsiderate, alive child.

As Team Jumping Scorpion began to walk through the path to the entrance, Rena waved to everyone. "I hope that everyone I left behind in my absence will be able to forgive me, but I'm back now! I'm stronger than ever, and I vow never to stop becoming stronger so that I'll never have to disappear again! I will become a Chuunin, but I will never stop getting stronger!" The crowd erupted in larger cheers, the symphony of people clapping and cheering filling her ears. How she'd missed her home.

_Her fingernails raked through the dirt, over and over, caked in mud. Out. Out. She wanted out. Out of this small, boxed cell. No more surgery. No more. No more. She wasn't what he said. No more. NO MORE!_

She had stopped mid-walk, but Suno and Tsukiyomi's hands were placed on either side of her shoulders. "You don't have anything to fear anymore, Rena. Not when we're with you. Those memories are useless to you. Let me take them... and put them away." Suno's voice was calm and gentle, his hand on her shoulder as he waved to everyone else with a cheery smile. "Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you all! Oh, you're quite the beauty, aren't you? I'll come back for you!" Rena twitched, before resuming her pace as if nothing ever happened, a smile spread across her face as she began to wave again.

"And now, my pride and joy, the strongest Genin squad in the Hidden Sand... the Sand Siblings. Kankuro, Temari, reach forward to become the best shinobi you can be!" Temari and Kankuro were next. As they waved to the crowd, Kankuro tried to catch up with Rena but was pulled back by an annoyed Temari. Gaara took strides a little further behind them, people going quiet as he walked by.

"Good luck, Temari, Kankuro!" Someone in the crowd called, resulting in a few more citizens bouncing this statement back and forth. "Do your best!" "We believe in you!" "You're amazing!" "That's the Kazekage's son and daughter!" "Pride of the Hidden Sand!"

They were all silenced as Gaara stepped closer. Nobody acknowledged him, nor did they say anything to him. Rena stopped in her tracks, causing Suno to bump into her. He frowned. "That usually works... is she growing resistant?"

Turning around, Rena ignored Suno's comments, picking up her pace as she walked the opposite way she was supposed to. Kankuro looked around before his cheeks flushed as opened his arms a little. She walked straight past him and still flustered, Kankuro dropped them. She walked, standing in front of Gaara's path. He stopped, staring her dead in the eyes, waiting. Watching.

She bowed, her hair touching the ground. "Good luck, Gaara! I believe in you! Please do your best to become a Chuunin!" The crowd, dead silent, didn't know what to make of the interaction as Rena speedily flipped back up. "Now, come on! What are you waiting for? We've got an exciting adventure ahead of us!" Nobody would be able to tell as she held her hand out to him, but his cheeks were lightly tinted pink. He began to walk, walking past her and ignoring the hand she offered him, but she just turned around, a smile on her face. She began to speed up so she could walk beside him, but he sped up a little to avoid walking beside her.

_Good luck, Gaara! I believe in you! _

Those words echoed in his mind. Why? For some reason, it stirred emotions within him and he couldn't get it out of his head no matter what else he tried to think about. It was the only thing he went over and it would probably be all he thought about for the next few days. Damn it all, this girl... she was a distraction. She was making him weak and for that, she would pay dearly.


	3. 3 - Regrets of the Past

Rage was all that crept through Sansa's mind as she trudged through the sand, her target the Kazekage. She grabbed his wrist, yanking him into the alley before pinning him against the wall, cracks forming where her hand rested beside his head as her deep blue eyes glared at him. Even so, Rasa's cheeks tinted pink. It just made her angrier. "She's _back_!?" She wasn't restraining her voice, so someone who was particularly nosy would hear and see a shameful scene between the Kazekage and the shinobi. "She's back, and you didn't even _tell_ me!?" Her nails dug into the wall. She hadn't talked to Rasa in a while. Even now, it was hard to be around him. She'd acted before she thought and now, she was trapped in this alley with him. "Tell me why I shouldn't gut you right now." She couldn't touch him, even if she pretended as if she could.

"Because I am your Kazekage." Rasa was relatively calm in this situation, entranced by her gaze. The small, hopeful smile on his face made her want to wipe it off. She held back her need to blush through sheer willpower.

"She's my _child_!"

"Sansa, listen to me."

Sansa sighed, withdrawing her hand. It was like the pressure had been removed the further away she got from him as she rested her back against the other side of the alley's wall, crossing her arms and glaring at him from a distance. "_What_?"

"I've been thinking about what you said," He began, tugging at his collar as he looked for anything to fiddle with. He swallowed his fear, knowing full well the potential consequences of what he was about to say. "When you left me. I still don't fully understand it, but I... want you back."

Her eyes had changed. They were ablaze, almost_ glowing_ blue as she looked at him, her gaze that of a wild beast who had been disrespected. He swore he could almost see a lick of blue flames igniting in her eyes as she looked at him like he was the lowest of the low, disgust portrayed across her features. "After all these years... you're still the same selfish _prick_ you've always been." Conflict tore into her heart as she searched for more words, any words, to put distance between them. If she couldn't put distance between them, she'd make a mistake, a mistake she couldn't come back from. "You'd betray one of your most loyal friend's trust just to say something like that again?" She took a step forward. It was a mistake. He smelt like ginger tea, and she could feel the heat radiate off of his body. It was a comfortable kind of uncomfortable, one she didn't want to acknowledge. "You _know_ Baki and I are together. You _know_ we're engaged. You _know_ what this does to me! How can you still be so self-absorbed?!"

"I'm sorry, Sansa. You've always been one of my strongest anchors, grounding me when I feel like I can't stay here anymore. You're alive; you're strong. You tell me when I'm wrong. More than anything else, I want you." Tears dripped from the Kazekage's face as he reached for her, gripping her arms and pulling her close, embracing her as his head rested on her shoulder. "I _love_ you."

Sansa was dead-silent. She remained in his arms for a few seconds, taking in his scent, his warmth, lingering, almost wanting to give up on everything she had built. It didn't matter if she wanted the Kazekage or not. It didn't matter if Sansa loved him. Now that Rena was back, Sansa's feelings were irrelevant. The girl needed a strong role model. A _father._ Someone she could rely on. If someday, a monster came to take her away, the darkness she had hidden her child from in the first place... Rasa wouldn't be enough, no matter how much Sansa wanted it.

And so, as she held back all of her emotions and put on a straight face, she shoved Rasa away. "You can't do this, Rasa. It's not fair to Baki. It's not fair to me." Sansa shook her head as she stepped back, putting some space in between her and the Kazekage. She could feel a web of cracks forming on her heart as she did all she could to keep it together. She had to. "You're the one who chose the path we would take. You did that with your actions. You wouldn't treat your child properly, and he became a monster. All of this could have been solved so easily back then. I left because of what you did to your child. The way you _acted_. Did you happen to forget that he is your_ blood_?! The last gift your wife—my _best friend_—gave you before she died?!" She turned away, walking to the edge of the alley and turning before she walked into the light. All he could see was her blue eyes glimmering with emotions he couldn't understand... or maybe he could. He couldn't claim to know_ everything_ going on in her head. "I'm leaving for the Hidden Leaf. I don't want to be your bodyguard, so assign someone else. When we get back from the Leaf, we'll finish this conversation for good."

Sansa disappeared from the alley, leaving Rasa standing alone, the wind lightly moving his hair. He knew Sansa most likely wouldn't have reacted well to what he had to say, but he'd wanted to try anyway. Rasa wondered if it was foolish of him to think that now that her child was back, things between them could go back to the way they used to be. He shook his head, turning in the other direction. If Sansa wasn't going to escort him to the Hidden Leaf, he'd have to find a replacement for her quickly.

**X**

As Sansa walked away, her mind was clouded by her memories. Her face softened as she looked back at the alley, before looking at the Kazekage's office- the very first thing she had seen when she'd first come to the Hidden Sand.

It'd been a foggy day, similar to what this morning was. She'd been stopped by the Border Patrol, inspected to see if she was pregnant or carrying weapons. The instant they realized that she was, indeed, pregnant, close to childbirth, they guided her inside, right into the Kazekage's office.

It was Karura that had welcomed her with open arms, chastized Rasa whenever he'd said something about being suspicious. Sansa's first opinion of Rasa had been that he was, ultimately, a pretentious cunt. She didn't like him at all and wondered why Karura would've married someone like that.

Temari and Kankuro were still small. They came over now and again to help her get settled. Although Rasa inquired about her origin, Karura chastized him. Sansa would never forget what Karura had done for her and the kindness she had shown in Sansa's time of need.

_"Aren't you curious?" Sansa asked as she gently rubbed her swollen stomach, trying to alleviate some of the pressure. "You're probably the only person who hasn't asked me anything about it."_

_"You would tell me if you felt the need to. I can already see that you're uncomfortable about the subject. Maybe you don't like thinking about it too much, either." Karura poured tea into Sansa's cup, steam wafting out of the ceramic. "I understand what it's like to be judged. Many think I married Rasa for his position. They knew who I was before I became the Kazekage's wife. I married Rasa because I saw the man he could be, and I fell for him before I knew it."_

_"I don't know what man you see. He seems self-serving and stupid to me."_

_"That's my husband you're talking about, Sansa."_

_"Sorry, Karura."_

_"It's alright. I understand that you don't have much experience with the life of a shinobi. You can't possibly understand what it means to be Kazekage, either. It's not a title to be taken lightly; after all, he has many responsibilities."_

_"Well, he could spend more time with you…"_

_"It's all for the Hidden Sand, Sansa. His diligent work makes our home safer." Karura smiled, her expression something Sansa hadn't understood back then. Sansa had been, in many ways, similar to a child. Karura had taught her much about what it meant to be genuinely human… and the monster's teachings had slowly faded from her mind._

_Karura had helped Sansa feel safe again…_

As Sansa passed the tea shop that Karura had initially taken her to, she turned. It wouldn't hurt for her to take a break, would it? It wasn't the best idea to catch up with Rena yet. She had no idea what she'd say, after all. Beyond that… the preparations in the Hidden Leaf weren't complete. Sansa realized she couldn't even leave the Hidden Sand yet, as she and Baki still had work to do here- soldiers to organize.

She sat down at her table, the server bringing over a teapot. She poured her tea, the scent reminding her of bitter days...

**_To lose, you can't afford to._**

Those words were the only piece of advice that had sat in the back of her mind, even when she'd escaped her master.

Sansa had never been one to act before layers of thinking. Karura had released her of her chains, showed her a world of freedom she hadn't been given before. So when Karura died, her world felt like it had been crushed.

That had been the day Gaara had been born.

At first, all-consuming rage had convinced her that he was a demon, especially after what Rasa had done. She thought that Gaara had purposefully taken away his mother's life and that he deserved to be hated for it. She had every intent to kill him. Karura's body still lay lifeless in the bed, Rasa having cried himself to exhaustion beside it.

_She'd crept beside the baby and, with hatred, driven a kunai straight into its heart._

_It was her surprise that the sand came to the child's defence, surrounding it, protecting it from her strike. Her tears would wet the material as the sand would crumble, a fragile, untrained wall._

_Somehow, she knew._

_And she brushed the sand from the baby's chest, who began to cry, with nobody to care for it. Rasa seemed preoccupied, unwilling to awaken for its cries. Sansa picked up Gaara and held him in her arms, the coldness toward him around her heart melting as she realized he was just a defenceless child. She held him to her chest, shushed him._

_"It's unfair to judge you now. I, too, have a child like you in my belly, a dormant monster waiting to reawaken. But maybe… it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe I can raise her differently this time. I can save her from the darkness. In her current form, she's just like you. Innocent. Unaware." Sansa's tears dripped down her cheeks, and the child in her arms quieted. "Is it strange that the fact you're Karura's child makes me think that the only thing I want to do is protect you? If I was the person I'd been before I came here… you would have died."_

_She began to doubt she ever meant to strike lethally in the first place._

Sansa had almost consumed all of the tea she'd poured for herself. She left a few coins on the table, getting up and going. Her shoulder brushed against another's, and the scent of ginger tea filled her senses. She turned around, primed to call his name, but the colour of the person's hair was different.

She kept her mouth shut and walked away.

Her opinion of Rasa began to change with the years. Gaara didn't have anyone save for Yashimaru and in place of Karura, he was a lovely conversationalist. He kept Sansa sane for the longest time. Gaara didn't have a mother. He almost died of starvation, as Yashimaru and Rasa had no idea how to take care of a baby, and Rasa was too prideful to ask for help.

_Sansa had stormed in and taken matters into her own hands. "I'll help the child until he can fend without milk." She'd helped Temari and Kankuro as well, but they didn't accept her nearly as much. Kankuro had lashed out at her for attempting to replace his mother, but Temari reprimanded him and thanked her. They'd only been little children then. Temari had become more mature than she could've imagined at a young age, claiming she had two brothers to take care of._

_Sansa had gotten close to Rasa. It started via the letters. She knew he was suffering, pouring himself into his work, avoiding his children. She told him to write his feelings. On some off chance the dead could see it, it would be worth it to at least mark their names on the envelopes. He brushed her off, and they never spoke of it again, so she didn't know what he did with her advice- but as she helped him more, cleaning up, with the children, paperwork, their bond grew._

_And then he kissed her._

_That was the prime point of their relationship, the moment it started. Without knowing it, Sansa had fallen for Rasa, seeing some of the points Karura had highlighted about him. She felt guilty but promised Karura she would take care of her family while standing over her grave. If only she were able to keep that promise…_

_Four months later, Rena had been born._

_Gaara had been weened._

_And like that, the life Sansa had gotten so used to crumbled. Yashimaru took Gaara, and Rasa decided to limit his contact with others, even his own siblings. Sansa was told that she would no longer be able to interact with Gaara._

**_Why?_**

_She wished she'd asked that question. Her guilt was bubbling within her._

**_Why not?_**

_But all she had said was,_

_"Alright."_

_It was logical, wasn't it?_

_After all, Gaara wasn't her child._

_She had Rena now, and the darkness within her was much more significant than a tailed beast. Sansa wanted to apply all of her attention to Rena, make her upbringing perfect, let her become stronger than who she previously was emotionally._

_She wanted to make sure Rena would have free will._

_So… wouldn't Gaara just get in the way of that?_

Sansa felt the guilt consume her as she stepped into the shadows, heading toward her next assignment. She made her way into the secret ANBU department, being pulled back to the past in her mind.

The night her world changed for the worst.

The Shukaku had gone on a rampage. She had thought Rena would be smart enough to evacuate… after all, Rena barely understood what the Shukaku was. Any sane human being would run from a monster, wouldn't they?

_The day after the Shukaku attack, Sansa had burst into Rasa's office. He barely paid her any mind. Even as she strode across the room, still, he was buried in his work as always. "I need to be excused from duty. I have to find her."_

_Rasa sighed, placing his paperwork down before pinching the bridge of his nose. "How arrogant can you be? Our village needs our help, and you're thinking of your daughter. You are needed here, Sansa. You belong here."_

_"How could you say something like that? You know how important she is to me." And to think, she was almost ready to tell him about her past. To tell him about the darkness she'd been hiding from him._

_"I'm not going to entertain this fantasy you have that your child is still alive. She's confirmed dead, murdered by my son."_

_"They haven't found her body yet!"_

_"Because it's buried under a mass of sand, Sansa! Stop being so foolish!"_

_"No! I know! I know in my heart that she's alive, all of my instincts are telling me so!"_

_"Such an amateur thing to say." Rasa stood up, his glare piercing through her as he stepped toward her. "I thought you were a professional, Sansa. I gave you control of the ANBU because I thought you of all people could handle it. I never thought I'd made a mistake until this moment. You're acting pathetic."_

_And like that, all of her feelings crumbled to the ground. She had learned how to cry, smile, and live like life could be normal._

_Now, she would never cry again. Not for anyone. "I never want to see you again, Rasa. You disgust me. Don't you dare ever show your face to me unless I call on you." Sansa turned, walking toward the door._

_"Wait!" She paused, looking back, hoping that Rasa could fix all of this, that he would realize he was making a mistake. "I am your Kazekage. Don't think that just because I'm fucking you, you can talk back to me like that. Where are you going to go, Sansa? Face it. After losing that fatherless child, this village is all you have left. I am all you have left. Nobody will want you after you had a child with no father. I am the only exception. Don't you dare step through that door before I'm done speaking to you."_

_Sansa's hands tightened. "What are you going to do, Kazekage?" A bitter smile stretched across her face. "Relieve me from duty?" She stepped over the doorframe, turning back, her smile betraying the cold, fierce glare in her eyes. "I didn't think you could sink any lower than you already are. At least I'm a mother to my child. I was more of a parent to your children in the past nine years than you were in your entire life."_

Rasa had called for Sansa over and over, tried to find her- in the end, he banned her from leaving the Hidden Sand indefinitely.

She stopped speaking to him for three years. She couldn't bring herself to associate with them after their argument. It was only recently, now that he'd softened his behaviour and become a little more compassionate, that she'd begun to take missions directly from him again.

Had that been a mistake?

**X**

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Three days of walking?! I'll go crazy! Noooo! I can't! No more walking! I can't dooooo it!" Rena gripped her head as they walked through the desert, declaring her hatred for walking anywhere. Kankuro hoisted the bundle he kept over his shoulder, giving Rena a playful smile before nudging her with his arm.

"At least we can go crazy together, right, Rena?"

Rena let out a laugh, a ring of glorious laughter in the ears of Kankuro. How his sweet angel sounded so delectable, something he could take a bite out of! "As much as I'm sure seeing you crazy would be super funny, I'd rather keep my sanity. When we get there, I'm heading to the first shop with tasty desserts that I see!"

"I'm afraid that you won't be getting any if I eat them all first~!"

"Aren't you lactose intolerant?!"

"No! What made you think that?!"

Rena shrugged, giving him an apologetic smile before turning to Temari, who slowed her pace to talk to the girl. "Do you have anyone who you like yet, Temari?" The sand sibling frowned, sighing. "Ah- sorry, did I touch a sore spot?"

Gaara took no interest in this conversation. Romance meant nothing to him, as did girls or marriage. Kankuro wasn't interested in Temari's love life, either. Gross,

"No, it's okay... I've had a few suitors, but nothing special..." Except for the one her father had selected for her. She would have to talk to him when he got to the Hidden Leaf, try to change his mind. Hopefully, she would succeed. "How about you?"

It was at this point that both Gaara and Kankuro were slightly closer to the girls, listening to the conversation as carefully as possible without seeming suspicious. Hearing a twig snap, the two girls turned around to see Gaara crouching and studying a small portion of the ground, moving the dirt between his fingers while Kankuro carved something out of a tree branch. "Well, there is this one guy..."

_Foolish. _Gaara turned away from the conversation.

_OHMYGODWEFEELTHESAME. _Kankuro began jumping around, doing his happy dance. It was a mix between dabbing and doing the macarena. Random jerks in all kinds of different directions before he chilled out, sliding to a pause.

"Oh? What's his name? I can set up a blind date if you'd like." Rena knew Temari had no interest in doing that, but she did love helping the people she loved and seeing them happy. She shook her head, putting her hands behind her back and giving Temari a sincere smile.

"It's okay! It's more than enough to see him alive. Even if I can never have my feelings returned, as long as he exists... I'll be happy. I wish that he'd smile more, though. He had the most amazing smile when we were kids..." Rena's cheeks flushed, and Kankuro swore that he'd never do anything but smile ever again. Maybe Rena was so sweet because she loved to eat sweet things...

Gaara, on the other hand, was beside himself with disgust. Whoever she had those feelings for, he'd kill. He'd make them suffer and die. She was talking about that person like they were some saviour like her life didn't matter in place of theirs.

It took a lot of progression and a lot of breaks, but finally, they reached the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire. Rena had been trying to walk beside Gaara for hours, but somehow he always shook her off, walking slower or faster as Kankuro or Temari distracted her from him. As sand turned to dirt, Kankuro tried to get closer, but Tsukiyomi cut off his path to Rena. "Are you interested in cats?"

"...Yes, why?"

"Your hood... it resembles a feline." Tsukiyomi reached up, her fingertips tracing his hood. Distracted, Kankuro couldn't interrupt Rena and Gaara.

"Hey, Gaara."

No response.

"Gaara, talk to me?" She tried again.

"Hello." The response was short, simple and pure.

"Are you excited about the Chuunin exams?"

"No." It was a blatant lie. He was excited. He lived for that moment. He was going to slick the ground in the blood of the Leaf village nin.

"Why not?" No response. Gaara began to walk ahead of her, cutting off whatever she had to say next. Kankuro had finally escaped the clutches of Tsukiyomi and caught up to Rena.

"Hey, Rena, about competing to get to the dessert shop, maybe.. we can go together?" It had taken Kankuro the entire trip, working and pumping himself up to ask her out on a date.

"Oh, okay..."

Kankuro's eyes lit up, his smile stretching across his face. "Yes! Yesss! I won't mess this up, I'll pay for everything, I promise-" He was pushed out of the way by Tsukiyomi, falling into a ditch full of sticky mud. He flailed, trying to get out. "Uh, help, please?"

"After monitoring your behaviour, I have concluded that something is different."

"It's nothing, Tsukiyomi."

"But, your expression is..."

Rena gave Tsukiyomi a sad smile. "It's okay, Tsukiyomi, I swear."

X

_Finally. _Konoha's main road, with the gate in sight. They were a few minutes away from the village itself when suddenly, Rena was finally acknowledged. Gaara walked beside her for a minute, before finally speaking. "Come visit me tonight. The roof of the inn." His pace slowed, and he fell behind the group, but Rena felt ecstatic. Her heart was bouncing around in her chest.

Kankuro grabbed her hand, breaking her out of her stupor, pointing at the gate. "Come on, Rena! We need to eat dessert. I'm starving!" Kankuro's excitement couldn't be contained as she was dragged into the village. She stole a single glance back, watching Gaara as he got further away. All he did was watch, his eyes devoid of emotion. He wouldn't stop looking at her, and a part of her felt almost guilty.


	4. 4 - The Hidden Leaf!

"This is _amazing!_" Rena exclaimed as she took a bite out of the sweet, succulent moist chocolate cake she was eating. It was delicious, the smell, taste, and texture completely enveloping every sense she had. "I don't think the Hidden Sand has anything like this!"

"No, it's delicious!" Kankuro agreed, elated that he was _finally _alone with Rena. He had been shoving cake into his mouth the entire time, nearly crying with joy. Gaara and Temari had gone to check everyone into the Hidden Village, making sure that the proctors knew that they were there. Tsukiyomi and Suno had gone to check them into the inn and while everyone was doing that, Kankuro had dragged her away. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and setting his spoon down before he began. "Ever since we met, I've loved you. I've loved everything about you. For you to have been friends with a spoiled brat like me... it was amazing. You taught me so much about myself and other people, opened me up to new possibilities I never knew. Life was so bland without you and I honestly didn't want to go on anymore. The only thing keeping me going was knowing that you were alive. For the longest time, I hated Gaara... I thought he'd crushed you but after the analysis... I just want you to know that I... I love you. And after we're done in the Hidden Leaf, I want to marry you. I want you to be mine always- I promise I'll protect you. I'll never let you get snatched away ever again. You don't have to respond now- but I'll always love you no matter what. No matter who stands in my way, someday, you'll be mine."

He heard the sound of crashing plates and opened his eyes. Rena was nowhere to be seen, but in her place was a rather flustered waitress. She had dropped everything in her stupor. "S-Security! H-Help, anyone, help!"

"W-Wait! I'm not a creep, that confession isn't for you- Rena, where did you goooo?!"

**X**

* * *

**X**

As Rena exited the shop, she bashed straight into what felt like a brick wall. Rubbing her face and making sure her nose was okay, she looked at what she had run into. It was Gaara and he did _not _look amused. "G-Gaara..." Sand swarmed around his feet, keeping him stable. He remained to stare at her as she picked herself up off the ground, looking around. She walked forward and turned left, starting down an alley. When Gaara followed her, she got her first clue. She turned right, looping around the back of the store. He entered the alley just as she did. "You're... you're _lost, _aren't you?" She stifled her laughter, earning a deeper glare from Gaara, causing her to slap both hands over her mouth, but he could see the laughter in her eyes. His face darkened. "Okay, okay, I'll stop laughing! But... you're lost."

After a few moments, when her laughter had truly died down, he nodded. His reluctance to reply was clear in how long it had taken him to respond, but Rena gave him a gentle smile as a reward for his compliance.

"It's okay, Gaara. Everyone gets lost sometimes, even me."

A yell pierced the air and both of them stood still for a moment, confused. "Rena, where are you?!" He ran past the alley, stopping and looking around, in full view of the two. "Crap, if I make too much noise it'll make the Hidden Sand look bad and Gaara will kill me... I have to whisper or something!" Kankuro dashed out of their sight, leaving the two dumbfounded and Gaara with a _second emotion _on his face; blank-faced confusion. His mouth was slightly open and he had the eyes of a dead fish, which made Rena start laughing. His face snapped back to what it always is, annoyed.

"Ah, but this is troubling," Rena said, trying to leave her laughs behind her. "Kankuro has the worst sense of direction out of all three of you. He takes after Rasa..." Rena walked forwards, so she couldn't see Gaara's face at the mention of his father's name. Had she, she would have known her life was definitely in danger of being forfeit. "Well, Gaara, let's follow them together!" The tone of her voice and the way she spun around and gave him a big, bright smile, holding out her hand to him... all of those negative feelings suddenly disappeared. Gaara remembered this feeling- it was as if, on a blisteringly hot day with no water in sight in the middle of the desert, a light, gentle breeze crossed his path, caressing his skin. Had this... always been what Rena was like?

Gaara walked past Rena, ignoring her hand, to which her face fell. He suddenly stopped in the alleyway, not turning to face her, but her eyes widened- was he waiting for her to follow? She sprinted a little to catch up to him, only for him to turn to the left. "Um... Gaara, that's not the direction Kankuro went. He went right..." Gaara was wordless and nothing showed on his face, but he was shaken with embarrassment. He began advancing in the proper direction, ignoring Rena and moving faster than she was. "W-Wait! Weren't you going to wait for me?!"

They walked around for a good ten minutes before Gaara slowly raised his arm, causing Rena to stop. Rena wasn't paying as much attention as she should have been and she walked straight into it, bouncing back. She steadied herself from stumbling, frowning at Gaara. "Stop."

"You couldn't have said that before I ran into you?!"

Her attention diverted from Gaara to a scene unfolding before them in an alley. They hadn't been noticed yet, but she saw Temari and Kankuro. She raised her hand, ready to call out to them, but stopped when she saw that they weren't alone.

"Say _sorry_, punk." That was Kankuro's voice, but she didn't recognize the tone. The alley was partly deserted, but two little boys were standing beside a pink-haired girl and a blonde-haired guy that was at least Rena's age or a little younger. From where she was, she saw a black-haired boy perched in a tree, but she didn't think Temari and Kankuro did.

"What are they...?" Rena asked, confused as to why Kankuro was so on edge. Her eyes widened in shock as Kankuro picked up the smallest boy of them all by his shirt collar and she felt herself boil over with rage. Her eyes narrowed. "What the _hell _does he think he's doing?!"

"You ran into me. Now _apologize._" Kankuro's voice was threatening, a low growl.

"Stop. We're going to get scolded later." Temari's gaze pierced Kankuro, but it was clear he wouldn't listen to his sister. A rock sailed from the direction of the tree to Kankuro's hand, clearly hitting its mark as Kankuro dropped the poor child. He grabbed his hand, glaring at the boy who had thrown it.

"I have to stop him!" Rena was more than ready to move forward to step in, but she was stopped by Gaara, whose hand rested on her shoulder. It was the first contact they'd had since she got back. His grip lasted on her shoulder a little longer than he intended, but he enjoyed touching her too much to let go.

"Wait." Gaara's voice was as gentle as it had ever been. Rena's head turned as his features faded into grains of sand, flowing through the air as she watched it move to the tree. He reformed, becoming the same Gaara as before. "Kankuro. Stop." His voice was filled with disdain. It was _completely _different from what it had been a second ago and Rena couldn't understand for a second why. "You're a disgrace to your village."

The black-haired kid recoiled in shock, almost losing his footing on the branch. "What...? I didn't even sense him..." What surprised her, even more, was Kankuro's reaction to Gaara. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before, his face cloaked in absolute terror.

"G-Gaara..." Taking a step back, Kankuro's expression and attitude toward Gaara puzzled her. She didn't get why.

"Did you forget the reason we came all the way here?" The usual blank expression on his face changed in her mind for some reason, inducing terror rather than that usual feeling of affection she possessed for him. She couldn't move, not even to talk to Kankuro or try to interlude between the two... no, the three parties. Gaara felt like someone else entirely.

"I... I know!" Kankuro insisted, stepping forwards again. He had a desperate smile on his face as he did. "They started it! They provoked us, see, here's what happened..." He began, trying to explain his actions. Gaara's eyes narrowed, his only target Kankuro, as if it was all he could see and the sheer secondary effect terror Rena felt was unimaginable as her legs shook. She didn't... She didn't want him to look at her like that.

"Shut up... or I'll kill you."

The threat was completely unnecessary. Was this really... the Gaara she knew? Had the Kazekage been right about him? It felt like ice was creeping over her heart as his eyes moved to her. They were watching her, for some inexplicable reason, choosing her to rest on. She didn't know what to do, how to escape his gaze- it felt like she was trapped and running away wasn't an option. It was then, at that moment, she understood that to Gaara, she, too, was a target.

"Right. I was totally out of line." Kankuro said and even from a distance, she could tell he was shaking. "I'm sorry, I was totally out of line... I'm sorry, Gaara." He sounded like a broken record, which made Rena want to comfort him. She wanted to protect him, but she couldn't. He was dripping with fear, not being able to hold himself together.

Gaara burst into sand, flowing down to the ground and in the blink of an eye, he was him again. He turned, halfway, to look at the Genin of the Leaf, "I'm sorry for any trouble he caused." There was a secret there, something Rena knew and something she was sure Gaara knew too... he didn't feel sorry. Rena was sure that Gaara didn't feel anything at all.

Gaara's eyes were focused on the black-haired boy, though. He'd stopped Kankuro with a pebble and made it look easy as he did it. This person was a threat, someone he'd be watching closely. "Let's go. We didn't come here to play games." He was talking to Temari and Kankuro but Rena knew better than that. He was signaling her, exercising just how much power he had over her. He wouldn't turn away from her direction until he saw her make a move and it felt like time came to a slow, just as it had when she fell from the kunai wall, the feeling of being trapped in an endless space where the concept of time was nothing. Still, even though it felt like an eternity before she could, she took one step forward, then the next, each step toward Gaara feeling easier than the last. Gaara did have a good amount of control over her and his eyes passing her by made her shudder, realizing that perhaps that was his form of praise for coming when she was called.

He began to walk forwards, past the Leaf Genin. Rena bowed her head to them, giving them an apologetic smile as she attempted to dispel the glares of hatred. "My apologies, Genin of the Leaf! They're simply tired from a long journey." Her efforts had the opposite effect as the pink-haired girl's glare worsened, now focused on her before her head whipped around to focus on Temari.

"Hold up! Hey!" Temari came to a stop, turning around, her face scrunched up in distaste.

"What?" Rena could tell Temari didn't like the pink-haired girl. There had to be a good reason for it...

"I can tell from your headband that you come from the Village Hidden in the Sand." Temari gave her an _oh, really? I didn't know, _look. "Of course, the land of fire and the land of wind are allied, but no shinobi can enter another's village without permission!" She said, matter-of-factly. Rena was starting to understand why Temari was so annoyed with her. "So state your business, and it better be good!"

What the girl didn't know was that when Temari clapped back, she _clapped back. _Rena was filled with pride at her childhood friend's response. "Have you guys all been living under a rock or what? You don't know what's going on, do you? We _have _permission." As Temari flashed them the identification card given to them by the Kazekage, she was smiling a shit-eating grin, one so smug and confident that it caused the pink-haired girl to lose a bit of that confidence she had in her eyes. "Of course, you're correct. We _are_ Hidden Sand Genin. Our home _is _the Land of Wind and we're here for the Chuunin exams! Get the _picture?"_

_The girl had deserved that._

"The Chuunin exams? What's that?" It came from the rather ignorant-sounding blonde boy, who hadn't been speaking nearly as much as the others. "Well, I've never heard of any Chuunin exams, believe it..."

Here came Temari with her clapbacks again. "Heh... Oh, I believe it alright... That you're _totally _clueless!" Now she was just mocking them. This was the same Temari she knew all those years ago.

"Hey, Boss!" The kid that Kankuro had picked up earlier spoke, "Those are the exams that every Genin's got to take to become a Chuunin!" Rena wasn't a Genin, but... she'd become a Chuunin either way.

"Oh, wow! Well, why didn't you say so? I am _so _there!" The kid began jumping around, prompting everyone to turn their backs on him and start walking away. Still, there was someone remaining who was bold enough to challenge the Sand Siblings yet again...

"Hey, you." Rena turned around to see it was the black-haired boy who had thrown the rock. "Identify yourself." He was even more damned annoying than the other girl! Who was he, demanding someone introduce themselves before he did?! And he should define who he was talking to, damn it! It was just unnecessary confusion!

Temari was the first to turn around, a slight blush spreading across her face. Rena couldn't believe it- that was the type of guy she was into? He was a jerk! He sounded like one, too. "Hm? You mean me?"

"No," He replied, "Him. The guy with the gourd on his back." A little late, but the guy pointed directly at Gaara, who turned back to look at him.

"...Hunh...? My name is Gaara, of the desert. I'm curious about you too. Who are you?" Gaara's face was unreadable, but Rena wasn't so sure about this interaction... this was the longest sentence he's said to anyone since he got back. Something was up.

"I am Sasuke Uchiha," The boy said proudly. It was like static had trapped itself in Rena's head. She... that was familiar, but not... it didn't make any sense to her. She brushed it off. The sudden interruption of the annoying blonde-haired boy broke the tension.

"Hi, there! I bet you're dying to know my name, right?"

Then, the most Gaara-like thing happened, something that almost made Rena laugh out loud; she had to cover her mouth again lest Gaara glared at her. "I couldn't care less." He cooly brushed off the poor kid, glancing at Rena. There was no glare this time...

Rena followed behind Gaara, eager to get out of there and leave the foreign Genin behind.

**X  
**

* * *

**X**

"Temari, Kankuro, what the hell were you thinking?! And in a village that's not ours, as well? Did I teach you nothing when we were kids? You can't just act that way to everyone you come across!" Rena's voice was loud enough that it caused several people to turn their heads as she scolded the two.

"But- Rena!"

"Don't but Rena me! Are you still spoiled brats or not?!"

"I'm honestly sorry, Rena!" Kankuro threw himself at her feet, tears dripping from his eyes. He was being scolded by his angel, his future wife. Temari wanted to kick him for being so pathetic. "That brat- he bumped into me and didn't apologize, and then the pink-haired girl had the nerve to go and harass us just because we're Sand nin! It's unfair! We're being judged for-"

"I thought you were better than that, Kankuro." It looked like Kankuro had been frozen in stone as tears welled in the corner of Rena's eyes. "Someone I looked up to. How could you...?"

"I... but, I..."

"I told you this would happen, Kankuro! She was raised by the Devil Tactician of the Hidden Sand!" Temari gave a nonchalant shrug, which earned her a hard, half-crying glare from Kankuro.

"Did you two at least check us in with the Hokage?" It was a question she should have asked when she first saw Gaara in the alley. Temari looked to Gaara, who shook his head. Rena sighed, crossing her arms. "Kankuro, take Temari and go look for a suitable place to train during the exams." Kankuro and Temari looked at each other. They did not want to be in the same place as one another at the moment. "Gaara and I will head to the inn. We'll find Tsukiyomi and Suno on the way. Shall we go? We'll explore the town as we do!" She was eager to see the Hidden Leaf. Gaara gave her a look that meant _okay, I'll comply, but I'm not going to actively participate._

As Temari and Kankuro turned away, Kankuro hung his head in shame at being scolded by Rena. If it had been Gaara... he didn't want to think about what that would mean. It was pretty depressing to be reprimanded by his future wife, but he'd bear it. Surely Rena was going to reprimand him plenty more when they were married, so he had to learn how to like it.

Watching Temari and Kankuro argue off into the distance was a sight to behold, but Rena turned to Gaara and smiled at him. With a skip in her step and a sing-song voice, she began to go forth to explore the leaf. "_Walking, walking with Gaaa-ra. Walking, being with Gaaa-ra. Walking with the red-haired boy, Gaaa-ra. Gaara Gaara Gaara Gaaaaaaa-ra. Going to check into the inn with Gaa-ra. Going to run around town with Gaaaaaa-ra!"_

Feeling an unnatural presence that meant to do her harm, she craned her neck to see Gaara looking _very _much not impressed.

"Got it. No songs. Okay."

**X**

* * *

**X**

_Sunday_ **5:00 P.M. **

_ARRIVAL TIME:_ **2:00 PM **

**Gaara & Rena's Relationship Level:** 2%

**X**

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**X**

The sales going on caught Rena's eye, more particularly a jewelry vendor who had a shiny necklace on a pedestal, a little raised compared to others. Gaara watched as Rena walked over, examining the table, but her eyes always went back to that specific necklace. It had a silver chain and a silver rose with a small diamond in the middle. He could tell she desired it. "Hey, little lady! Do you want to buy it? It's expensive."

Rena's face fell. "Ah, but I don't have any money..."

The vendor's disposition to her changed to ice immediately. "Get lost, kid. Stop loitering! I only have time for paying customers, not curious children!" Rena backed away from the stall, deciding to move on rather than staying. As Gaara passed by the stall, he glanced at the vendor. Their eyes locked and the man took a step back, feeling the weight of the boy's glare. Sand swept across the table as the asshole was distracted and the rose necklace was gone. Gaara began walking away, the small amount of sand he expunged flowing back into his gourd.

Gaara never wanted to see an expression like the one the man had made Rena wear; to this end, he caught up to her. He walked beside her, his palm opening. Rena looked down at it and a smile stretched across her face. "Thank you, thank you! Gaara, how did you _pay _for this?" He looked back, seeing the vendor panicking about his missing item, searching the crowd with a Hidden Leaf nin. He grabbed her hand, the touch sending jolts of electricity through both of them. They dashed through the Leaf and this is the first time Rena had ever seen Gaara run. She wondered why, but the contact of skin on skin was welcome and she found herself blushing as she looked at him.

After a while, they both slowed to a stop and went about their original path, hoping to come across the proper inn. They passed three, which were full and didn't have their reservations, but finally came across one in the corner of the Hidden Leaf. "This one looks like it could be ours! The _Dancing Leaf, _huh?" She pointed to the sign hanging and blowing in the wind, a beautiful leaf in exquisite detail painted on it.

Gaara remained silent as he entered the inn before Rena did. There was a girl behind the counter, at least thirteen years of age. She wore a traditional kimono which she adjusted as she looked at them eagerly. Her eyes trailed over to Gaara, her cheeks flushing a slight pink. Her blonde hair was in a ponytail, long enough that it went farther down to the point where Rena couldn't see the end. "Oh, welcome to _the Dancing Leaf. _Can I help you, cutie?" The girl winked at Gaara, clearly not off-put by his surreal appearance and lack of eyebrows. He gave her no response as Rena walked up to stand beside him at the counter.

"We're looking for the reservations made by the Hidden Sand. Are they here?" Rena was completely unaware of the girl's attitude toward Gaara, but it was clear that the girl was disappointed.

"Oh, are you his girlfriend?"

"Um, well, n-"

"Yes." Rena felt as if she was going to turn to stone, unable to move or turn to look at Gaara. As he took in all the information and even took the key to her room, she tuned out everything that was going on in the background.

"Well, your friends checked in with us first. Floor two and three are reserved for the Hidden Sand during the Chuunin exams. There are about six rooms on each floor or so, don't break anything." She flipped open a magazine on her desk, resting her cheek on her closed fist, looking as bored as ever. "Totally unfair, why are the hot ones always taken or uninterested in me?"

Gaara dragged Rena upstairs, her confusion leaving her on autopilot. In the stairwell between the first and second floor, Rena stopped in her tracks. "...What?" Gaara asked. She could hear the annoyance in his voice, but she couldn't help it.

"You called me your girlfriend."

He stared at her, before turning to her. "I don't know what that is, but it shut the girl with the annoying voice up. She would've just kept going if I didn't say that." He turned to continue the climb to the second stairs, but Rena stepped forwards, grabbing his hand and stopping him from going any further.

"I... you promised when we were kids. A kiss. You remember what that is, right? That if I was like Sansa when we were both older and didn't have anyone to love, that you'd kiss me!" Her insistence was persistent, to say the least. "You... you remember what a kiss is, right?"

"You want that?" He asked, staring at her with an expressionless face. Gaara stepped closer to Rena, their noses so close that if they were to move even an inch they would touch. She felt the brush of his lips against her own, an inexperienced, trembling kiss between two children who didn't understand. Gaara pulled Rena closer, the feeling enveloping him as a whole, setting something inside him aflame. She didn't shy away from his embrace, but it lasted for a moment longer than it probably should have. As if instinct, Gaara's hand raised to Rena's chin, angling her face for easier access. Breaking away from her, his eyes widened as he saw tears drip from her face.

"Why would you..." Searing pain filled Gaara when he saw her expression, as he couldn't understand. "When you're making a face like that..." She shoved him to the side, darting up the stairs and away from him. She didn't want his reaction to their first kiss to be absolutely nothing! She thought he had felt something, anything- this was her last attempt to try and see if he was the Gaara she had once known.

Gaara couldn't understand any of it. This feeling was a weakness. He traced his lips with his thumb as he stared in the direction Rena had gone. Her scent was familiar, relaxing. He had almost forgotten his mission in Konoha, just for a moment. Another searing pain ran through his head, causing him to grab it, digging his nails into his scalp. This girl... she was a distraction that kept eating away at him.

He refocused his priorities, and started up the stairs, hoping to have a moment alone for himself.

**X**

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**X**

_Sunday,_ **8:00 PM**

**1 Week Until **_Chuunin Exams _

**Gaara and Rena's Relationship Level: **5%

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**X**

Gaara left his room, locking his door behind him. It'd seem like he was still within his room without him even having to be there, which was the intention. Kankuro, Temari, Suno, and Tsukiyomi had gone out to secure everyone's dinner and Rena had stayed behind wanting to take a nap. Gaara hadn't been invited to come with them.

He came to a stop in front of her door, putting two fingers over his closed eye. Sand flowed from his gourd through the door lock. With one hand, he formed his third eye, which surveyed the room and determined it was a good time to enter. The door lock made a _click _sound and it swung open with a slight creak. Slipping inside as gracefully and quickly as his sand, he sat on Rena's bed after closing her door.

Her chest raised and fell while she slept, and his breathing synced with hers. It made him feel calm to watch her, but he wasn't content with just watching. He took a strand of her abnormally long hair and gently stroked it. Soft and silky, lazily combed at best but not tangled. None of it frizzed up and it held a certain _weight _to it. It felt a bit squishy, as well... but warm. Like a heater, or a fire. The strands were thick and looked a little bizarre when singled out. His hair wasn't anything like it; his fingers slipped through her hair and he let it be.

He placed his hands on either side of her, leaning down and gently pressing their lips together again. He was curious, wanting more from this interaction; for all of the things he studied, the only thing he knew was that a man and a woman were supposed to make a child. Their bodies were different, that much was apparent even over their clothes. His fingers gently slid down her shirt, undoing the buttons one by one, exposing the middle of her chest. His fingers splayed out against it and he felt her beating heart underneath it.

Pulling back his hand, he instead rested his head in between her breasts, listening to the pulse of her heartbeat. Time slowed, each beat lasting what felt like an eternity. Like this... Like this, he could sleep forever...

Kankuro burst through the door, his voice as loud as it could get. "Rena! Look what I've got! I brought you a giant cookie!" Rena shot up, sitting upwards, but the cookie fell from Kankuro's hands, crashing to the floor and breaking into five bits. Her fingers twitched as he gawked at her body. "Buh...buh?"

Rena, confused, followed Kankuro's stare. At first, she seemed calm, rubbing her head sheepishly before picking up her pillow and whipping it at Kankuro, shrieking shrilly while covering her chest with her other arm. "Get out! Get out! GET OUT! YOU DAMN PERVERT, KNOCK FIRST!" She screamed, causing Kankuro to scream as he ran out of her room and shut the door with great force behind him.

Gaara watched from the darkness of the closet, knowing that what had happened just now was a close call. It couldn't happen again. If he hadn't turned into sand at the last minute and crept across the floor while Kankuro was distracted, he'd have gotten caught by both of them- and this wasn't something he was keen on explaining. Unfortunately, now that Rena was awake, it meant he was stuck in the closet until she was gone. After all, despite how dumb he thought she was, she was at least smart enough to notice if a torrent of sand came flying out of her closet.

Rena turned to the things she had packed, removing a set of clothing. She tied her hair back loosely, letting it fall over her shoulder as she removed her shirt. Gaara's eyes widened as the fabric slowly slipped down her shoulders, exposing scars he had never seen before. He hadn't seen her exposed like this, so of course, he wouldn't have, but the most prominent one was one in the shape of a jagged diamond. It stretched from her lower back to her upper back and when she turned around, it was as if it had been mirrored. A scar like that meant she must have been stabbed through at some point in time. Just what the hell happened in the six years she had been missing? What had she gone through? The light hit her back at an odd angle, outlining what looked like the groove of two more scars on either side, stretching down her shoulder plates to her mid-back.

The scars looked as if they were once deep, painful gashes, mostly her upper torso with a few on her upper legs. Yet, despite all of that, she was smiling. She held up the necklace Gaara had _[stolen] _bought for her and gently fastened it around her neck. She then picked up something else- something she hadn't been wearing this entire time. "Is it okay for me to wear this when I'm not a Genin...?" He recognized the object in her hands as a headband from the Hidden Sand. It seemed like she already answered for herself as she put it to the side, on her bed.

"I'm not worthy yet. The Kazekage wants me to marry Kankuro, and..." She let out a deep, sad sigh, her eyes staring at the ground. "I hurt Gaara. A lot. I'm sorry that I wasn't there when he became Shukaku. I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time. Even if the Kazekage wants me to walk away and have a steady life, I can't! I have to... have to make it up to Gaara!" The look on her face was one of determination, her eyes shining. She rushed out of the room, past Kankuro, who grabbed her arm.

"I'm sorry, Rena. I should have knocked first."

She stopped, giving him one of her very forgiving smiles. "It's okay, Kankuro, it was a genuine mistake. I swear I locked the door, but I should be more careful next time, too."

As she moved to keep going, Kankuro made his grip firmer. "Um, Rena. If you want... there's a really pretty place in the Hidden Leaf we can go." He had spent all night setting up the picnic and had specifically told Temari _NOT _to interfere. As far as the takeout everyone was eating in the other room, it didn't exist!

"Ah... now? I'm sorry, I have to go do something with someone..."

"Who?" Who could be wanting to do something with Rena at this hour other than him?! Was it some random suitor!? She couldn't fall in love with some schmuck from the Leaf, she belonged to the Hidden Sand! To him!

"I'll tell you later, okay, Kankuro? I'm already late!"

He watched her walk off, but he was _livid. _Even if he had to invade her privacy, there had to be a clue to the identity of her mystery suitor. He crept into her room, looking around, only to see the closet door slide open. His jaw dropped and he and Gaara just stared at one another wordlessly. His brother picked up an object that had been on the bed, shoving it into his pocket before turning to sand in front of his very eyes, floating out of the window.


	5. 5 - Secrets On The Rooftop

Rena was doing her best to climb up onto the roof. There wasn't any kind of way up to other than via climbing unless you used shinobi abilities, but Rena wanted to depend on her strength. It was great training, after all! As she moved to put her hand on the shingles, instead, she found a soft hand enveloping her own and pulling her up. It was one of the few times Gaara had voluntarily touched her. "If you aren't aware of the steps you're taking while climbing, you'll fall." He was saying that the next step she took would probably have caused her to plummet from the building.

She sat down on the roof and Gaara sat beside her. They were silent for a few minutes, neither of them speaking or looking at one another, but they gazed up at the night sky. There wasn't a single star, only inky black darkness above them. The moon was covered in clouds. It was Rena who broke the silence, her voice cutting through nothingness like a hummingbird through the air.

"So, why did you call me up here, Gaara?"

"Because I'm going to kill you." Rena was paralyzed with fear. Her eyes moved to Gaara, achingly slow, as she took in his expression. It was calm, calculated. His eyes moved to hers, never once breaking away as he spoke without any restraint. "I brought you up here to kill you. I love nobody but myself. I can't love anyone but me. Love makes you weak. You're getting in the way of my strength, so you must die. I must exist, no matter what and your existence is interfering with mine."

"But, I-"

"You will not feel it. Barely anything." His hand raised, sand swarming around her figure. This time, it was tighter than the last time she had been in his grip, the sand directly brushing against her skin. It was rough. It began to squeeze tighter and tighter and even though she was terrified, on the brink of tears, her voice was heard as clear as day.

"That's okay."

"What?" Gaara's hand went slack, the sand's trajectory slowing down a substantial amount. It paused, floating in the air, one big mass of some substance that nobody could see from how dark it was.

"I said... that's okay. Kill me."

"Are you... mad?" His voice was a mix of confusion and hesitation. He had never _hesitated _in killing someone before for any reason like this. Blood was blood, no matter whose it was that coated his sand and her blood was meant to be within it.

"If this is what you want, then kill me! I'll let it happen! It'll be okay!" She insisted as sand flowed around her. "But, Gaara, if this is what you think is best for me... I'll wait an eternity for you to realize what love is and what it can do. I'll wait until every human dies and every shinobi becomes extinct. I will be by your side because even if you try to kill me, even if I'm afraid and want to cry or run away, I have to stay. I believe in you."

"You'd let me kill you..."

"Because I _love_ you, Gaara."

That was enough for him. As soon as the clouds covering the moon dispersed, his sand broke formation, pouring down the side of the inn as he lurched forwards, both of his hands wrapping around her neck, exposing his bloodshot eyes. She had the full option to hit back, to push him away, to do anything, but her hands remained limp at her sides. Her eyes were closed, a gentle smile gracing her lips. He was going to squeeze the life out of her and she wasn't doing anything about it! Didn't she know this was weakness?! Didn't she know she was going to die _because _of this supposed love for him?!

His grip on her neck weakened, hands slipping away. He had left marks and she coughed and wheezed for air, rubbing at the place he had been holding. "You are weak. You'd give up your life for someone who only loves themselves, someone who is strong."

"I guess... I would, yeah. But... that's love at it's worst, Gaara. You have yet to see love at it's best! Gaara, even if you never love me back, I'd still..." Her face flushed, the light of the pale-colored moon exposing the look on her face. Her smile caused his heart to beat, painfully, what felt like a fever spreading across his cheeks. He couldn't bring himself to do it. The sand that had been trailing down the side suddenly rushed back up the wall, into his gourd.

"If anyone else had said this, I would have killed them." His glare focused on her. "But, I'll allow this- for now. I'll make you follow me. I will be your prison. You will not leave my side until you see the truth behind my words, how this _love _makes you _weak. _I will show you why I am strong... and then you will be as strong as I am."

The entire time, Rena smiled at him, causing his annoyance to grow. "Stop doing that. You shouldn't be smiling."

"But why not? It's kind of like a confession!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know- a confession!" Rena blushed again, dancing around the rooftop. "A half-confession."

"Shut up. Stop it."

Neither of them had noticed someone listening in from one of the trees around the inn. He leaned against the trunk, his eyes serious. "This is impossible..." He murmured, the frown on his face giving away his feelings on the subject. "She'd never allow this."

**X**

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**X**

_Monday,_ **6:00 AM**

**7 Days Until **_Chuunin Exams_

**Gaara and Rena's Relationship Level:** 14%

**X**

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**X**

A tinkling sound filled her ears as she shifted in bed, the sound of light, jingling bells. "Wake up, Rena!" She pulled the covers over her head, trying to escape the sound of the voice that had woken her up for the past month.

"Nooooooo!"

"God damn it, meow!" He let his true speech pattern slip, the impulse too much for his agitation. Rena began laughing under the covers, causing Suno to hit her with a pillow over and over. "Don't laugh, meow! This is your fault!"

"It sounds just like a real cat!" She tried to defend from Suno's relentless battering, mocking his speech impediment. He continued to bash the wiggling Rena with a pillow until Tsukiyomi came in, staring directly at the two. Suno paused, turning around to look at her, with Rena peeking out from under the covers.

"Everyone can hear you. Please lower your voices." Both Suno and Rena burst into laughter at Tsukiyomi's tone of voice, unable to hold it in. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. Let me get dressed." Rena struggled to get into her gear, things Temari had left for her. It was so _tight-fitting. _The shirt itself came with netting, which was needlessly confusing and a little delicate for her tastes, although it allowed for her skin to breathe and for maximum flexibility. The shorts Temari had given her were black and came to a stop just over her knees. From what she knew, this was default kunoichi attire. The shirt she had been given was rather similar, all black, with no sleeves. The netting went to her elbows, hugging her stomach tightly. She wasn't so sure about the shirt itself being so short and showing her belly button. Strapping her pouch to her leg, she began scrambling through her things voraciously. "W-Where is it?! The headband?" She _knew _that the Kazekage wouldn't be pleased about this.

She walked out of the room, straight into Temari. "So everything fits, huh? That's good." It was clear the group was waiting for her. Everyone was here, including Gaara, which was a surprise. He was a little further down the hallway, listening, but staring off into the distance. He didn't move an inch, so whether or not he was paying attention was a different story. "Well, I guess that we should probably start with the basics. We used yesterday to settle in and rest from our travels, but it's time to go train. I already know who my partner is going to be," Her eyes moved to Suno, who noticeably gulped.

"Me? No, I... I really shouldn't. Right, Tsukiyomi? We should go together!" Temari grabbed him by the ear. "Yowch! No, no, no! Don't hurt me like this! Aaagh!" He complained as she dragged him down the hall. "You guys figure out the rest. I'm taking this kid somewhere I wanna go."

"I know who's going to be my training partner!" Kankuro reached towards Rena, but Tsukiyomi stepped in his path, careening her head to look at him. "I... I guess... it's Tsukiyomi...?"

"Correct."

Rena and Gaara had disappeared in the split second he had taken his eyes off of them. Damn it! This Tsukiyomi, always getting in the way... It would make him feel better to beat the crap out of her, at least!

**X**

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_"Do we have to do this?"_

Temari turned to look at Suno, her eye twitching. When she chose him, she figured he'd show her something new, not that he'd complain every inch of the way. "Are you going to keep acting like a wuss, or are you going to fight?" The boy made a loud sound like he was a mix of exasperated and dying. "Come on. Show me what you've got." The tip of her fan hit the ground. As she dragged it along the dirt, she opened it to her first moon, making a perfect line.

"Are you sure?"

Temari, irritated by Suno's unwillingness to start fighting, swept her fan in motion towards Suno, resulting in him being tossed in the air by her unruly winds. The roar of them was pretty much deafening. She could see Suno's mouth move, but she wasn't prepared for what happened next. He hit the ground, being pushed back and kicking up dust. The clouds filled the area, causing Temari to cover her mouth with her sleeve until it cleared out. It was a fast dispersal when she swept her fan across the battlefield again. Her eyes widened. "What... the hell are you?"

Suno was arced in what would look like a completely uncomfortable position. His nails dug into the ground to the point they were tearing up the ground itself. His feet were planted as firmly as possible, but there was something different about his eyes. They were slits, something not commonly found in any human, but resembling the features of a cat instead. The thing that gave away the split from humanity the most was the flicking, furry black tail, and ears. The tail twisted midair, waiting. "You said you wanted to. I said I didn't." His nails disconnected from the soil, revealing black, extended, pointed claws. He didn't straighten out but rather stayed connected to the ground, somehow moving swiftly on all fours. "You wanna go? Let's go."

As he burst forward with a level of speed that Temari didn't think he had, she opened her fan to two moons, a sweeping torrent of wind headed in Suno's direction. His eyes narrowed, perceiving her strike as he narrowly changed course, passing the torrent by. "Time passes more slowly for me like this. I have better reflexes. I can dodge things I couldn't when I don't use the Release." Temari sent another bullet of wind at him, finding herself frustrated when he moved again. She opened to the third moon, sending one after the other, but it seemed like they were just playing a game of cat and mouse. It was only as it was too late that Temari realized how close he was, as she had been focused entirely on hitting him rather than keeping him away. As he launched himself at her, she rose her fan and felt a slight weight on it as he bounced on top of it and landed on her shoulders. There was a hand and a foot on either shoulder as he stared down at her, blinking. "Satisfied?"

"I will be when you tell me what the hell this is. I've never seen it before."

"That's my secret." He flipped off of Temari. She hadn't even noticed a change in his chakra, it was that subtle. But now, she could feel something different about him as his tail wrapped around his leg. She had figured it was some kind of ribbon, or trophy, not a part of him. She watched him smooth down his ears. They no longer stuck up and blended in with his hair. It was as if no ear, nor tail, had been there. He looked back at her, but paused, almost erratically, as a butterfly floated across space he could see, his eyes following the gentle flap of its wings.

He got on all fours, pawing at the air around it as it moved, eyes wide. Temari began to shake, holding back her laughter as much as possible before bursting out into full-blown snorts and giggles. Suno glared at her, but all Temari could do was a laugh. He was still following the butterfly as he tripped over the trunk of a tree. Sliding forward face-first, he flopped on the ground. "Where are you from, anyway?"

Picking himself up, he looked back at the girl with blonde hair. "I don't exactly know. I guess, one day, I was just aware of my surroundings and myself and I kinda went with that." Temari backed up against the tree, before sliding down the trunk and coming to a stop. She flipped open a book on chakra control. "You're gonna read?"

"Yeah... what do you expect me to do? I know you're capable now, so I'm not about to waste this precious free time I have on doing nothing."

"Let me read with you!"

"..." She glared at him before exhaling air, rolling her eyes. "Fine. I'll read out loud. But you'd better keep up."

**X**

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**X**

Tsukiyomi and Kankuro were intensely focused on their goals, it seemed. As they sat in the booth of the dessert shop, Tsukiyomi consumed bowl after bowl of different delicacies. Kankuro had saved up for this journey, but never did he expect to burn through his savings so quickly. She was going through his money like wildfire through a damn forest! As he scooped up some of his ice-cream, Tsukiyomi opened her mouth.

"..." It took Kankuro a moment to get it. "YOU WANT TO EAT MINE TOO?! YOU HAVE YOUR OWN!"

"But I want yours."

"Why?"

"Because it looks like it tastes good."

"No!" If he was gonna spoon-feed ANYONE, IT WAS GONNA BE RENA! Unfortunately, Tsukiyomi chomped down on his spoon, taking what he had intended for himself. She pulled away, revealing nothing but a handle. "What the hell are you, a shark?! Where did the spoon go?! What are your teeth made of!?"

**X**

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**X**

**Rena and Gaara's Relationship level:** 23%

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_"Gaara! You're terrible at this."_

As her hands shaped the soft sand, gently digging through it and patting colder, harder, moister earth to support the more flimsy bits of the sandcastle she was making, Gaara watched nearby as she tried to shape sand without the use of Jutsu. "I'm not going to do that."

Rena looked up at him, her smile turning into a pout. They had come to a rather public park. All of the kids had been scared off by Gaara's glare, so they were the only ones left in the sandbox. Gaara still refused to participate in building a sandcastle. "You play with sand all the time, why can't you build a castle?" He stared at her, his expression a grimace of disdain. He had no interest in joining her.

"Why take the time to do this when I can simply use Jutsu?" He brought up his hand, sand swarming around the playground, creating the perfect sandcastle. The sand flowed in an almost psychedelic way as he pictured what he wanted in his mind, his fingers twitching now and again as he moved the particles into place. He looked back to Rena but was surprised that she seemed so... disappointed.

"You... don't get it, do you, Gaara?" She sighed. She placed her hands in her lap, sitting in a position with her knees under her. Her sandcastle was poorly made, nearly falling apart. She moved to get up, walking toward him. His palm was enveloped by the soft touch of her own, skin on skin. The light pulling caused him to walk in the direction she was guiding him in. As she sat down, she motioned for him to do the same. "I know that... this is little kid stuff. And that maybe we shouldn't be doing this with how old we are now." She began, looking shyly down at the ground. "But... we were both robbed of our childhood. We were robbed of love and peace and the chance to grow up normally." Her eyes moved to him and there was something he couldn't recognize there. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't decode it. "That's why I want to at least get _some _of those hours that were taken from us back..."

He would never understand Rena, nor this 'love' she claimed to have for him. But, it seemed like she wanted him to use his hands. He began digging into the sand, scraping it with his nails. It had been forever... forever since he got his own hands dirty doing something. He wasn't fond of having dirt caked under his nails... that he did remember.

"But I don't understand. Why aren't we the same...?" His eyes strayed to her, her own cloudy and far-off, seeing things that he couldn't fathom. She noticed, snapping out of her stupor. "Oh, no, it's just some stupid thoughts I have. I'm glad you're going to try with me, though!" The sand was rather sticky and wet underneath the dryer top part, but not an unpleasant feeling overall.

As they built the sand-castle together, the sun rose higher in the air. It took a while, but they had finally completed what was a hand-crafted masterpiece. When Gaara tried and took his time, he was good at what he did. Although... Rena's side wasn't the same as Gaara's.

As they both got up, Rena stretched around wildly, hopping and bouncing from foot to foot and waving her arms. "What are you doing...?"

"Getting some kind of exercise!" She replied, "I hate feeling like my feet are asleep."

Her smile was as bright as the sun, captivating the scene before him. A breeze ran through her hair, allowing strands to flow like water. As she brushed it back, out of her eyes, they softened as she gazed at him. In her eyes, right now, he was perfect. There wasn't a hint of the terror she felt the night before, giving her all to him... but how long would this perfection remain?

"Speaking of exercise, we should probably be fighting one another, shouldn't we?" She turned to him, tapping her finger on her cheek. "Practice and all that. I'm a bit rusty."

"You won't be able to hit me," Gaara replied, standing up. He walked over to the middle of the playground, crossing his arms. "It's futile." It wasn't a _no, _though. Rena herself backed up, bouncing from one foot to the other, in a fighting position. A sudden lurch forward marked the beginning of the fight. She was fast, but nothing to write home about compared to his Jutsu. As she got closer to the mark where the sand would spring into action, suddenly, it was as if time slowed. She had since passed that mark and there was _no sand. _Something was wrong, terribly wrong. It wasn't moving automatically.

Rena's fist hit Gaara in the face. His balance teetered momentarily before he fell flat on his ass. The hit was barely anything. She didn't put any weight behind her punch, maybe out of concern for him- or she was extremely weak. He hadn't felt threatened by her at all, but the sand still failed him regardless. It didn't even put a sand shield on his skin; he hadn't even felt the need to manually control it. "G-Gaara! Are you okay?!" Rena gasped, running to try and help him out. She offered her hand to him.

Smacking away her hand, he stood up, glaring at her as he regained his balance and posture. "I let you do that." He turned his head away from her. "You're weak. Don't waste your time on training; you should just play on the swings."

"Gaara!" Rena frowned, his harsh words cut deep.

"I'll push you. Come on."

Although he had said those cruel things to her, the idea of being pushed on the swings by Gaara tempted her enough to follow him. As she followed him across the playground, he felt a deep concern for his existence. The sand hadn't protected him this time. Something had happened. No, even worse- _nothing had happened. _Gaara didn't _have _weaknesses. It was why he lived the way he did.

Could this newfound issue... have something to do with Rena...? Should he have killed her last night? Only time would tell.

**X**

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Tsukiyomi's interactions with Kankuro had gone differently than he'd expected. She was... different, in a way he couldn't explain. She didn't know all that much about the world and took in knowledge with a curious stance. Her voice was always monotone as if she couldn't process her emotions, or feel in the first place. Her expressions, muted.

Yet, somehow, she had a certain amount of purity about her, something that reminded Kankuro of Rena. She was leaning over a flowerbed, her long, blonde locks reaching the ground. Her twin-tails were long, but not as long as Rena's. He wondered what her hair would look like down, who she was, why she had just shown up with Rena. "Tsukiyomi...?" He began. The girl's eyes swept the vicinity, resting on him, a deep blue. She blinked. Once. Twice. Waiting.

"Yes?" Her head cocked to the side, a trait Rena, too, had.

"What are you doing?"

"Studying the colors. Why do flowers grow into this kind of color? What makes them more than just black and white? Are they sentient, or do they just sort of exist as an object?"

Why she asked all of these questions, he didn't understand. There was something sad about her expressionless face and her blue eyes- it seemed like she was always in the perfect position to cry. "I... I dunno... but flowers, they're living things... I guess."

"Like me...?"

"I mean, yeah. You're living, breathing..." He swore he could see the corner of her lip turned up into a slight smile, if only for a split second, but her expression was neutral when he looked again.

"Someday." She closed her eyes, standing up, taking a breath. "Someday I'll be filled with colors, as these flowers are." Kankuro had _no _idea what she meant, but he nodded.

"Yeah, but you're already pretty colorful, I think." She gazed at him, directly, before walking up to him.

"You... wouldn't know color even if you were an artist."

"Hey!" He yelled as she walked past him, ignoring his frustration. That was an insult, right?! Dammit! He wouldn't let her get away with that! "Hey, I'm talking to you! Get back here!"

**X**

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**X**

Both Gaara and Rena sat on the swings, Rena pushing herself back and forth with her legs halfheartedly as they watched the sun start to go down. They had spent the entire day here, together, alone, with nothing but the playground. The red-haired object of her affections stared blankly into the sunset and she couldn't tell if he appreciated it or not. The pastel-pink sky was pleasing on the eyes, so she didn't want to break away from it, but the only thing more beautiful to her was Gaara's porcelain skin.

She reached up with her hand, almost touching him... but he snatched it. His eyes moved from the sunset to her and they spent a few moments like this, looking at each other, not saying a word. He was tightly holding her hand, unwilling to let go. "Gaara... that hurts."

"You're willing to die for me. Would you be willing to feel pain for me?" Rena's hand was entirely slack as he squeezed harder. She winced, his grip feeling like it was crushing her. "What more... would you be willing to give me, for your..." He couldn't even say the words. _Love. _What more would she let him do, all for that notion of love? Did love even exist?

"I'd... be willing to give you my all."

"Why?"

"Because... I don't have any reason, or will, to do anything but live for you, Gaara." He paused, letting his grip free. Her hand fell to her side as she leaned her head against the chain of the swing and for the first time he got a true look into the new Rena, the true one; the one that had been created by the events he hadn't been there for. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, memories haunting her from the past. "You... thoughts of you kept me alive. It was all I could focus on, so... It was all I held onto. I don't know if there's any purpose in life, or if we decide our purpose, but all I know is that I liked the way I felt when I was with you as a kid. I wanted it, so bad, so _bad_ that I'd do anything to get it again. I don't think life is worth living without that feeling. Without it, it's just... awful."

Her movements were sudden as she swung the seat from side to side. That sad expression on her face was gone as she pushed toward Gaara and gave him a swift peck on the cheek. He felt his heartbeat pulse faster, his face flush. He stared at her, unable to form words or even think about things, but her hand slid over his. She held onto his hand, and he gripped the chain of the seat tighter, unsure of what to do or how to feel.

But he recalled the euphoria of taking a life, strangely, was similar and yet nothing alike to this. This was... _different. _A form of it that he'd never felt like before and all the while he wondered what it would feel like to take hers. Was that wrong? No, it wasn't. It couldn't be. She promised her life to him. It was his now.

Why? Why did she have to return, now of all times? Why did _she _of all people, the one who had abandoned him, make him falter in his motivations and question himself? Right here, right now, he could kill her. She had her guard down, the perfect target. He could take her life in this instant and end it here, but that made his heart feel like shattered glass. The thought of it, what he wanted and what he wouldn't do, confused him.

If he killed her, she'd be within his sand for all eternity, staining it with her blood. He'd have his mother _and _Rena. He desired that, for some reason. But even more... even just for another day, those expressions she always had when she looked at him... he wanted to see them. Just for one more day.

**X**

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Tsukiyomi and Kankuro had been goofing off around town. Tsukiyomi had been feeding birds, despite Kankuro wanting to train. She always simply walked off in another direction when he tried to suggest that they should train. She had seemingly made a friend out of a dove, which was perched on her shoulder. It seemingly did not have an aversion to her despite her human appearance. Whenever Kankuro approached, however, the bird flew away, only to return moments later when he backed off.

"We have to stop goofing off and start training." He had finally had enough, stepping in front of her and blocking her path of escape. She gave him what he can only explain as a dead-faced glare. He shivered but remained an immovable object. "Look, the chuunin exams are coming up! I need to know you aren't going to drag Rena down."

She raised her hand, the dove perching on her index finger. "I will do nothing of the sort. You might need training, but I'd rather not kill you. Fights are for the battlefield, not for fun."

"What kind of backward logic is that?! And you couldn't kill me!"

Tsukiyomi sighed, flipping her right twin-tail over her shoulder with her free hand. "I have a very large amount of raw power. I don't need talent, skill or _training. _This power, however, is very volatile. I can kill everyone around me by accident. There's no need for control- I am a trump card. Nothing more, nothing less." Her piercing gaze, complete with the feel of being looked down on, caused Kankuro to take a step back. She walked past him, ignoring his presence. "I'm not going to sentence one person to death just because they want to play on the battlefield."

Play...? Did she think he took this as a game? In his rage, he ran to catch up to her, grabbing onto one of her twin-tails and yanking back. She stopped, feet planted in place, non-moving. "You think this is a game?! Hell no! I want to make sure you protect Rena!" She raised the hand the dove was perched on to the air, slowly, effortlessly.

"Take flight, my kin." With the flap of its wings, it sailed into the air, leaving nothing but a single feather behind. A single, well-placed roundhouse kick in Kankuro's ribs sent him flying. She switched almost instantly to hand signs. "Lightning Release; Thunder Blitz." Suddenly, lightning burst from her forearms, striking random spots near Kankuro. As he ran for it, one hit his leg, causing him to fall over and narrowly dodge another rogue lightning bolt to the head. Bolts filled the area, bouncing off of things, aimlessly; the only intent destruction. "Don't ask me to do this again." He rose his head, watching her turn away, raising her hand yet again. The dove, as if nothing had happened, perched back on her hand. She walked away from the scene of her crime, not looking back.

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**Author here! God, it's so much work~~**

**I enjoy it, though! Tell me what you think~~**

**Maybe I'll do a short Halloween special...**


	6. 6 - The Written Exams!

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_Monday,_ **7:00 PM**

_Hunna's Desserts_

**6 Days Until **_Chuunin Exams_

**Rena and Gaara's Relationship Level:** 30%

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Being the first to enter the dessert shop out of their party, Rena and Gaara got to choose the table. Most were free. The place wasn't packed, strangely enough, although the rush would probably begin in an hour or so. They chose the one furthest from the door, closer to one of the windows. Sitting opposite from each other, both tried to look anywhere but at the other party. People became uncomfortable by Gaara's gaze on them, so Rena watched a few get up and leave.

A server girl approached them, clearly not wanting to. She stumbled forward a little bit. "Um... can you guys please leave? Our customers, they..." She was shut up as Gaara's eyes snapped to her, this time not even a gaze but a glare. She shrieked, dashing out of the shop, tears in her eyes. One of the other servers called for her to wait, but it seemed like they didn't listen.

"Gaara, you're scaring everyone. Can't you be more approachable?" Rena sighed, shaking her head as she placed her palm on her cheek. It was a little difficult to go anywhere with him when all he did was scare people. He finally looked at her instead of anywhere else, his eyes not leaving her face. Curiously enough, an expression of fear on her face was different than others. However, the way she looked at him happened to also be different; no longer did she seem to see him the way others did. He wondered if she ever really saw him how anyone else did. The innocence of her actions back when they were children and the way she blindly pledged herself to him today proved that perhaps she was never like the others.

Rena's eyes snapped to the door. A couple of Jonin were lead by the server girl, walking up to the table. Having no idea what else to do other than perhaps try to look innocuous, Rena grabbed Gaara's sash, pulling him closer to her in one swift movement and lightly kissing him. He was shocked, a little dizzy. He began to flush again. The Jonin stopped in their tracks, looking at one another, then back at the girl, who then looked unsure of whether Gaara was a threat or not. "Sorry! We're on a date," Rena began, smiling at the Jonin, "But you know how boys can be, always so shy. He hates public displays of affection or even _thinking _someone thinks we're a couple, so! So sorry!" The Jonin looked at each other, before turning around and talking in hushed voices.

_"Just a date..."_

_"Dammit... can't break up young love like this,"_

_"Rui must be paranoid..."_

One of the Jonin, having decided that he would buy Rena's explanation, sighed. "Alright, but try not to cause any more trouble. You can stay." As they left, they passed a bewildered Kankuro. Tsukiyomi entered behind him, ignoring the poor boy who had just witnessed the kiss. She sat by Rena, as close as physically possible, resting her head on the purple-haired girl's shoulder as she closed her eyes.

"I missed you, Master."

Kankuro stopped dead in his tracks as he'd been advancing to the table. Just what kind of relationship did Tsukiyomi and Rena have?! His sister brushed by his shoulder and took the OTHER seat beside Rena while he was waiting! DAMN IT ALL! Well, if he couldn't sit directly beside Rena, then he'd grab a chair from somewhere else and sit on the end...

NOOOOO! Suno did it before he could! The only other place was next to Gaara... "Well, Kankuro? Are you gonna sit down or what?" He took his defeat, sliding into the seat beside Gaara. What had that kiss been? It was just to get the Jonin off their backs, right? Yeah, that was it. No way would his Rena ever have feelings for his brother... his brother was a freak, after all...

"Ahhh, Rena! I spent the day chasing the ladies of the leaf... It was amazing! Although, there was this one girl I met who pretended like she couldn't see me.."

"I hoped that we could get in more training, but you saw a girl and you just had to _instantly _chase after her..." Temari sighed her face in her hands. "And to think we had such an intense training match before you ran off..."

"Hey! When you _see _it, you gotta _get _it. I got a few addresses for later."

"Aren't you only twelve?" Kankuro asked, annoyed by Suno's promiscuity.

"Yeah, but I've got more addresses of lonely housewives than you do."

A shadow cast over the table revealed a boy about their age. Their heads turned, a little in disbelief, as he stared them down. "Can I sit here?"

"No," Temari replied, putting her feet up on the last free seat. At first glance, he had no headband and didn't seem to be from any village. "Well? Go away."

"Temari, you've gotta be more friendly!" Rena insisted, but it was clear Temari wasn't the only one concerned. Both Gaara and Kankuro had expressions on their face that painted a sense of unwelcome. Rena herself took another glance at the boy. His eyes were strange. Where there was normally supposed to be white, red instead took hold. He had a rather egotistical expression on his face as if everyone around him was underneath him, but his voice represented other intentions. "You can sit with us."

It was clear Temari didn't approve, but the boy took a seat beside Gaara, ignoring him, staring at Rena. "Your hair..." He began, "Ah, never-mind." It seemed like the table was awkwardly silent. They didn't know what to say to him.

"So, what's your name?" Suno pitched in, trying to fulfill Rena's desire of being in friendlier company. "I'm Suno Akagari, this is Tsukiyomi Akagari, and that's Rena Hikari!"

Tsukiyomi ignored him, staring at Kankuro menacingly, while Rena waved. He continued looking at her, not breaking away. "I'm... Ikarinochi. Ikari for short. Don't have a last name." He... wasn't as friendly as Rena had originally thought.

"We should order." Temari tried, picking up one of the one-sided menus that had been left on the table by a wary server. She scanned over the menu, her neutral face turning into a grimace... "..." She took a straight minute, scrunching up her face at some of the menu options. "..." Her expressions captivated everyone at the table before she looked up. "I'll have vanilla ice cream."

It took that long for her to decide on something so plain?! Rena sighed, before picking up the menu herself and scanning it. Gaara remained with his hands at his sides, Kankuro read through it, Suno and Tsukiyomi shared theirs as they argued over what they were getting. "I'll just share with Kankuro, you idiot cat."

"Hey! I'm a smart cat!"

Tsukiyomi scooched over to where Kankuro was sitting, causing Gaara to get up and sit beside Rena to make more room. Kankuro's devastation was written all over his face. The nasty wound on his leg had already been tended to. Nobody needed to know about it, especially not Rena- something Tsukiyomi had agreed to. He still didn't understand her, nor her constant aggression. There were times where she seemed like she felt nothing and then times where she was simply angry. As they read over the list, he found one that looked good. "Chocolate Mocha Vanilla." He pointed at it. Tsukiyomi simply nodded. He noticed that the dove from before was still perched on her shoulder, staring down at the menu with her.

"Is there anything you'd like, Gaara?" Rena asked, offering a warm smile.

"I don't like sweet things. Skip me." He replied, looking away from her. He was deep in thought, thinking over the conversations he and Rena previously had. She sighed, shaking her head, before looking at a flower-shaped cake without even reading the description.

"Ah, that's our couples cake!" A more serviceable girl came over, pointing it out to her. "Would you like to share that with someone?" Kankuro's hand was about to shoot up, but Tsukiyomi's grip of steel on his leg stopped him. His eyes bulged from the pain, trying to pry her claws out of his leg.

"I'll share it with her," Gaara replied, not thinking twice about it. The rest of the table gave their orders, with Suno getting what looked like a banana cake and Ikari just getting plain chocolate. Tsukiyomi and Kankuro just ended up getting the menu special in the end after a bit more arguing.

"Hell yeah! Cake! Cake! Cake!" Suno's voice was louder than originally desired, his excitement painting him as what he was; a child. Gaara glared at him, quieting him down. A couple of Jonin looked in their direction, disdain on their faces with how the children of the sand were conducting themselves in another village.

"Be quiet. We're not going to be taken seriously when you're yelling cake at the top of your lungs." Temari kicked Suno's leg, causing him to grab it and fall back on the floor.

"That was one of my shins!"

"You deserved it." She muttered, clearly still salty about losing that intense training match opportunity. Within a few minutes, the sweets were brought out and everyone but Gaara and Rena had theirs. The server asked them a few weird questions, but nothing alarming until they felt pressure on their wrists. Metal handcuffs; tying either of their hands to the chair, their dominant hands. Was it an assassination or an ambush? Gaara would kill the waitress, no matter what was the case.

"Apologies! The lovers' special requires that you feed one another with the hands you never use. It's clumsier and cuter~ And you guys read the text under, right? We can't let you go until you finish the cake!" She placed the cake, in the shape of a chocolate flower, in front of them. It was small and delicate, with blue icing. Gaara struggled against the restraints, shaking them. Rena winced from the amount of strength he was using to try and get free. He gave the waitress a long, hard glare, his aggressions rising.

"I'm... sorry, sir, but we can't unlock the restraints unless you both participate and finish the cake... It's in the rules and you ordered it..." He was beginning to regret volunteering. He would have let Kankuro do it, but he seemed eager- _too _eager. Gaara's instincts told him letting Kankuro and Rena do this together would be against his best interests, so he'd have to suffer through this humiliation. It was too late anyway.

Surprisingly enough, rather than Rena herself, the first to give in to the whims of the waitress was Gaara. He stabbed the fork into the cake, peeling off just the right amount to fit into Rena's mouth. The fork raised into the air and paused before her lips. She stared at him, bewildered that he'd participate, "Open your mouth. Hurry up."

It seemed like they had attracted a crowd of onlookers, ones curious where this interaction would go. Rena tried to ignore their leers. If they had all placed bets on who'd give in first, they all would have lost. Her mouth slowly opened and the cake was placed inside it. It reminded him of his training with the sand, how if he pushed it too hard it would go too far and pushing too little made it stall and go just before the mark he had set for himself. The girl was falling, slowly, but gently into his plans for her, he was sure of it. Alike to his sand.

She would finally be like him. But, something stranger yet happened every time he pushed her just a little. She shoved, full-force back, Something different happened each time, but he could feel a small bud of growth within him. He didn't like it. For as long as they existed, together, in this universe, he would refuse. They could grow old and die together and still, he'd exist. He would not give in to her weakness, never.

It was Rena's turn to feed Gaara. Thankfully the cake was only four bites at most. Picking up the spoon and taking a slice, she held it up, her hand trembling. Was she afraid of him? He... dreaded looking in her eyes and seeing the same expression that everyone else had, but he couldn't stop himself. Instead of fear, there was a fever; her eyes were in a sort of daze. Not fear, nervousness.

She moved it forward much too fast and the cake fell off the spoon, sliding into his shirt and leaving a trail of chocolate cake on his skin. He looked down, then back up, silence filling the table. She was going to try again, it seemed, and the cake jiggled on the spoon, threatening to fall. Gaara took the initiative. Chocolate was much too sweet for him, but he still bit down on the spoon. She looked ashamed, shy, nervous and sad, but that didn't matter. Compared to Gaara, Rena seemed to be taking the gazes not so well, whispers and harsh judgment reaching her ears. Rena was weak, however, but still walking his path.

He would show her the truth. Everyone but they deserved death and that all desires shall be fed. Hers, his. The sand should feed on blood.

**X**

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Monday, 10:00 PM

Dancing Leaf Hotel, Rena's Room

Rena and Gaara's Relationship Level: 39%

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It had been a few hours since the spectacle at Hunna's. Everyone had come back and retreated into their rooms, but Gaara wasn't about to stay put. He opened the door to Rena's room, closing it behind him. She rose her head at his entry, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Gaara..? What are you doing here?" He remained silent, approaching her. He sat beside her on the bed, not answering her question. She stared at him, but nothing happened for a few moments. He leaned over, putting his head on her shoulder. He couldn't sleep, but there was a strange feeling of comfort being near her. Just one night... putting everything on pause was fine, just for a single night. Rena made no move to stop him, nor do anything else, but he suddenly pushed her down on the bed, getting on top of her. "G-Gaara?"

He closed his eyes, sighing, before opening them again. "Don't talk." He could see her cheeks turning pink. It cultivated the same reaction in him. He leaned down, their lips coming closer together, but he simply shuffled down a little and laid his head down on her chest. He was a little heavy, but nothing she couldn't handle. It was like that, both suitably warm, that they fell asleep.

**X**

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_Tuesday,_ **6:00 AM**

**5 Days Until** _Chuunin Exams_

**Rena and Gaara's Relationship Level:** 43%

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Rena woke up to the feeling of heaviness on her chest. She could hear Gaara's steady breathing, his arms wrapped around her lazily. Her blurry morning-vision came clearer and she saw Gaara, his eyes closed peacefully. Sometime in her sleep, he had shifted over to beside her rather than on top of her, the only thing remaining was his arm over her chest. He looked so serene, so gentle. It was almost unbelievable that he was able to make such an expression.

Her hand moved, brushing against his cheek, cupping his face, feeling his soft skin. He looked so cute while asleep. His eyes snapped open, the same gaze he had day-to-day back. She felt cheated out of a tender moment. Even if it was just a second in time, she figured that Gaara's heart had finally opened to her. "How long have you been awake?"

"Five hours." His voice was low, quiet, as if not to spook her. Little did she know, that was the most peaceful sleep Gaara had gotten in a long time.

"Why didn't you get up?"

"I was comfortable." And she would have been woken up if he'd moved, so he didn't. It was as simple as that. However, Gaara could turn into sand. If he did it with finesse, he could have easily avoided waking Rena up.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to be late for training," Rena said, her face flushing as she turned away, moving to get up, but Gaara grabbed her hand. She felt her insides tingle as she broke apart, turning to something else and lurching as she moved through the air. Suddenly, sunlight-filled her vision; they were in a training field, surrounded by green grass and a light breeze as the sun rose. She was surprised her innards hadn't become outwards.

The thing that bothered her most wasn't the experience she just had, but the irony substance stuck in her nostrils; the smell of blood. Rena hadn't thought about it until now, but the thought kept popping up in her mind as much as she tried to ignore it. She didn't want to think about what he'd done with that sand, but deep inside, she already knew. She knew who he became and why everyone was attempting to warn her about him.

As much as it bothered her, the way Gaara made her feel kept her persistent. She trained with him the entire day, learning new ways to dodge and attack. It helped with her agility a ton, although she didn't quite win. Day after day passed in peaceful bliss.

Some days were spent with Gaara, others with Tsukiyomi and Suno, and then Temari and Kankuro. She met Ikari and spent a day following him around, although he didn't talk to her too much. These days of bliss blended into one and before she knew it, it was finally the day of the Chuunin exams.

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_Sunday,_** 12:00 PM**

**Day Of** _Chuunin Exams_

**Rena and Gaara's Relationship Level:** 50%

_**Rena and Ikari's Relationship Level: [Can't Progress At This Time]**_

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"Kankuro, if you keep rushing ahead I'm going to hurt you," Temari muttered under her breath, pulling her overexcited brother back for the fourth time as he tried rushing into the Chuunin Exams. "We need to look like we mean business, and you looking like a child in a candy shop isn't going to do that for us." Rena and Gaara, on the other hand, were walking with their teams. Not side by side, but a respectful distance apart. Their teams were displayed for all to see, inciting curiosity and fear. The illusions almost fooled Rena, but Tsukiyomi seemed to look right through them.

Finally reaching floor three, they opened the door to the exam room. Silently entering, they waited for a bit, only for a rather recognizable trio to enter soon after. The pink-haired girl was yelling at the blonde-haired boy, irritating everyone around them. It was interesting to watch, but not a smart move on their part.

Rena heard it coming before she saw it, although her reaction was a little slow. Metal rang against metal as the kunai hit hers, bouncing off and thinly slicing the back of her palm.

"Rena Hikari." The girl who had thrown the kunai somehow knew her name. Her hair was a rather pure white, an uncommon colour naturally. "It was only a matter of time until we met."

"Um, excuse me, but who are you?" She asked, putting her kunai back in her pouch as she held the back of her hand. It was barely a scratch, but that didn't change the annoying stinging feeling.

"Who I am doesn't matter. You only need to know that we've been hunting you. It was only a matter of time before you were gonna show up." The girl's expression was harsher than Gaara's. Hatred burned in her eyes and her lips were twisted in a sneer.

"I'm sorry, but we're the same age. I don't remember you, but I would've if I met you. If I did something, I'm sorry, but I think I'm not the person you're looking for." The girl's expression changed into a frown.

"I see. My bad." She walked back into the crowd, but Rena had a sinking feeling it probably wasn't the end. Rena turned back to her friends. At that moment, if she had stayed in her position, the shuriken that the girl had thrown would have cut her face, not the tip of her ear. She winced, turning back to the white-haired girl. "I am Kana Yoru. You have made an enemy of the Yoru Clan, so turn around and show me your blood! The pigmentation of it will show who you truly are, you accursed monster!"

Rena sighed, withdrawing her hand and showing Kana her very much red blood. "If I'm a monster, and my blood proves it, I guess everyone else here is too." Kana's expression changed, one of contempt.

"It should have been a different colour..."

"Well, it's _not. _Happy? I'm not whoever you're looking for, I can't have made an enemy of your clan. I just barely qualify for the Chuunin Exams, but I hope you find the person you thought I was." By that, she meant she didn't qualify and had bullshitted her way in by asking the Kazekage to make up makeshift missions she'd been on.

On the other side of the room, having seen the interactions between the two, Kabuto searched through his cards. This girl wasn't in them and she hadn't been cataloged by Lord Orochimaru. Who was she? Orochimaru had a list of everyone who was in the Hidden Sand, as he was working with them. Anyone sent by the Kazekage, surely Lord Orochimaru knew. She seemed very familiar, though...

And then the memory of where he'd seen her before hit him. She was one of the recent escapees. The one nobody had extra details for. Nobody knew what happened in that cell when Orochimaru entered it weekly. Kabuto remembered her well from her frequent escape attempts; the girl was like a wild beast, although her intelligence was unlike it. Every time, a different escape attempt, a different route. It didn't surprise him she succeeded, seeing as she was so persistent.

Kabuto tried to imagine a situation in which he could capture her again. It wouldn't work now, there were too many people around. If he were to do it, it would have to be in the chaos the Hidden Sand would create or afterward. He had always been curious about the usage of the child, or at the very least her origins.

"Your sister sends her regards, Rena Hikari. I may not be able to prove it now, but soon you'll drop that amnesia act." Rather than Rena responding, however, a familiar face stepped in between them. It was Ikari, brushing a lock of his black hair out of his face. He glared at Kana to last a lifetime.

"Get lost, pest."

"I don't have a sister." Rena brushed past Ikari, standing in front of him. "Maybe if you explained yourself, or even better yet, just dropped this crazy act, people would understand you!"

Kana's eyes narrowed. It was clear she wasn't pleased with this outcome. "There's nothing to explain. The blood on your hands should say everything anyone needs to know. I'll be back... until then, keep pretending like you don't remember." She turned around, this time for good, only to trip and fall flat on her face. There was nothing there and Rena hadn't seen her trip over her own feet, so she wondered what happened. It was clear Ikari was thinking the same thing.

"Thanks, Ikari."

"Whatever." The boy replied, looking anywhere but her face as he turned away. "Don't get in my way during the exams." He began to walk in another direction, only for a man to appear in the middle of the room as he did.

"I'm Ibiki, and I'll be your proctor today." The man was tall, with a jagged scar crossing his eye and cloth of sorts wrapped around his head. He looked bizarre, at best. "It's time for the written exams."

As the rules were explained and the stakes were laid out on the table, Rena's assigned seat happened to be next to Gaara's by some miracle. She had a bit of trouble writing, as she'd never been to an academy, It was a little easy to figure things out using common sense, though. Gaara, on the other hand, gained her curiosity, causing her to stop writing for a bit. He had been rubbing his eye as if there was sand or dust in it, but that was generally impossible, as he controlled sand. The room was pristine levels of clean, probably having been cleaned minutes before it was available for entry.

People, one by one, got caught cheating. As they were dragged from the room, people began to complain and yell, wanting a second chance. The entire point of the exam was not to get caught, but it seemed like they weren't up to par for it. Better luck next year, she guessed. However, she couldn't fail here. Tsukiyomi was across the room while Suno was two rows behind her.

She flicked her pencil and it rolled off her desk.

Suno began singing, progressively getting louder as she leaned down to pick it up. She glared at her team member. "Is that you? It better not be you." He began singing again, before stopping, giving her a cocky smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you kidding me, Suno?! You're gonna get us booted out! There's a time limit on all of this, you know!" She slammed her hands down on the table. "You moron, I know you like pushing buttons but now's not the time!"

"Keep it down up there!" The proctor called, his eyes harsh. Rena made a threatening fist at Suno, a sign to keep it down but he kept going.

"Can I please punch him, Proctor Ibiki? He's distracting everyone!"

Ibiki seemed to think for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. Just one. Do it quickly."

"Hey, what?! I'm singing because it helps me focus!" Rena stood up, rushing over to Suno and giving him a nasty right hook- right through the window. If people were trying to focus, now they definitely couldn't. All eyes were on the pair. Half of his body was in the window, half out.

"Damn it, I hit him way too hard!" Rena began shaking him. Tsukiyomi, on the other hand, began to perform a hand sign or two while the Jonin watching her row rushed to assist Suno.

"_Chameleon Puppet." _She whispered under her breath. Her hands moved the puppet she had deployed, the doll rolling across Rena's paper. The words began to peel off, disappearing as the puppet took them. Gaara noticed it. Smart. Rena had been the one collecting information, most likely from his page when she noticed he was cheating off another contender. Tsukiyomi would deliver it to the others, while Suno was the distraction. Could the girl from his childhood have planned this? There was no way she had gotten this smart. Gaara wanted to know who'd come up with the plan. Even though it was basic, it required teamwork to pull off.

"I think I punched too hard," Rena mused, still shaking the poor kitty. His paper was still blank and the clock was tick-tocking away. She dragged him across the floor, only stopping when the proctor addressed her.

"I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon. I think I need to disqualify you."

"Oh, he'll wake up. Suno, I'm not gonna get disqualified because you're knocked out. Hey, if you don't wake up now, I'm gonna make sure all you eat for the rest of your life is kitty kibble!" Suno's eyes cracked open and he stood up as fast as possible, walking over to his seat.

Gaara was watching the scene as suddenly, Suno began to write- fast. It was an almost blinding speed, all of the questions his answers. The kitty cat grinned. He had a few specialties, sure, but his best was his ability to process and remember information. There's no way that anyone could remember something as well as he could; most would know it as photographic memory, not that he did.

Rena sat back, her duty to her teammates fulfilled. Both Tsukiyomi and Suno had succeeded in their goals to get the answers she provided. She had to rewrite the answers, but it wasn't all that hard, because Gaara slipped her hints now and again. Still, her mind was elsewhere, her confrontations with Kana fresh in her mind. By the time she came back, Ibiki was talking about the tenth question and people were clearing out. Blondie screamed something at the top of his lungs, much to her annoyance.

Tsukiyomi would stay. It wasn't a problem if she couldn't take the Chuunin Exams again, although if Rena got up she was sure to follow. Suno didn't care, as Rena would have the answers. In other words, unless Rena was dropping out, they weren't.

"You have all passed the test." She appreciated his rather straightforward voice. It seemed like one that people could respect and did truly. As he yammered on about the test's meaning, however, Rena tuned him out. She already felt she understood the meaning well enough and the fact she passed made her feel like there hadn't been any questions to ask.

A woman shot through the window as if it had been any normal day. "I'm Anko and I'll be your next proctor!" Rena groaned internally through most, if not all, of the instructions given. The only important thing she made note of was that a Jonin would be showing their teams to the next area and stage of the exams tomorrow morning. An entire day of rest and time to stock up on weapons and supplies!

**X**

* * *

**X**

_Later that night,_ **5:00 PM**

_Rena's Room_

**Rena and Gaara's Relationship Level:** 50%

_**Rena and Ikari's Relationship Level: [Still Locked With A Hundred Locks]**_

**X**

* * *

**X**

"It's been an entire week since we got here," Rena murmured, staring up at the ceiling. Gaara was on her bed, sitting up and leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, his face as expressionless and hard to read as always. "Soon, we'll be facing the Forest of Death."

"And?" It had been a rough week for him. Everything was rough; there was always something to think about recently, most things involving Rena. Always on his mind, always making him unapproachable.

"And I can't possibly imagine what's going to happen to us in there. I mean, the written exams were probably the easiest part but what if one of us dies in there?"

"Then they die." He responded coldly. Rena sat by him, moving closer. Unlike his cold personality, as he leaned over and buried his face in her neck, he was being quite warm. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer as they both fell onto the bed. She was trembling pathetically, allowing him to come near her rather than moving further away. This trembling wasn't out of fear of him, but fear of what would come tomorrow.

This pathetic girl, clinging to him like she had no other purpose in life, was going to change and become more like him. He would be the only one who she looked at, who she was loyal to, who she relied on and devoted herself to. It felt like his bloodthirst was skyrocketing. Love meant nothing to him, he had no use for it. But her? He had use for her. He'd use her forever.

That was enough for him.

**X**

* * *

**X**

**8:00 AM**

_Forest of Death Field_

_**Status:**__ Tired._

_**Suno barely could get out of bed.**__ "Hey, why do I have to get up so early? Do these exams for me, leave me here."_

**X**

* * *

**X**

Rena stared down the giant fence in front of her, rather nervous. Gate Sixteen was all hers to enter along with Suno and Tsukiyomi. Suno was chasing a butterfly while Tsukiyomi stood rigid, alert, ready. "It feels like it's been forever... since it was just us like this." This caused their attention to snap towards Rena.

Suno placed a hand on one of her shoulders. "Relax. You've got us backing you up. We'll never let you lose."

Tsukiyomi placed a hand on her other shoulder. "I'd do anything for you, Master. It's because of you that I exist and I will not allow any harm to befall you. Anything you desire, I desire." Rena, suddenly infused with a burst of courage, gave them both a smile and turned to them.

"You guys are right. What am I doing, being so nervous with such an amazing team on my side?! We're gonna beat the shit outta any obstacle that comes our way!" She pumped her fist in the air, turning to the gate, her eyes sparkling. "I accept your challenge!" She handed Suno their Earth Scroll, who placed it in his pouch.

There had been a conversation between her and Gaara, who had been assigned Gate Six. She recalled it, knowing that it was her best chance at making it through the forest even with Suno and Tsukiyomi on her side. Their goal was to reach Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro within an hour. "Give me an estimate of our plan, Tsu!"

"If we choose to power ahead without stopping or detours, then we should be able to reach the Sand Siblings in less than an hour. If we encounter any Shinobi, depending on their strength, thirty minutes to an hour will be added if we were to fight. I suggest to duck and run, in this case. This is a rough estimate. I don't know what to expect within the forest itself." The rough estimate sounded good.

"Can you give me any threat values on the shinobi we're going to face?"

"Rock Lee, trained by the Green Beast of the Leaf. Despite his strange and interesting demeanour, he is skilled in Taijutsu. One might go as far as to call him a specialist, although I don't believe there's much special about him. Shikamaru Nara is a budding tactician, although I'm not sure how far he's progressed. Ours isn't exactly..." She watched Suno play with the butterfly, chasing it around the field behind them. "Prepared." She had chosen the word carefully. The bird that she had seemingly tamed was a good spy; she had learned to communicate with it in a matter of days and it had retrieved all the information she wanted to know. The knowledge she could obtain with the eyes and ears of a normal dove was probably the greatest in the exams. She was sure nobody else could do better. "Neji Hyuga seems intimidating, but if we were to combine our jutsu, we would easily be able to remove him from the exams. Not any threat to us, provided we stay together. Sasuke Uchiha, although strong, does not seem to be at the peak of his greatest potential. However, Gaara is interested in him, so I suppose that means something. He also detected me in his home."

"You broke into Sasuke Uchiha's home?" Rena said in disbelief, not sure if she should praise Tsukiyomi or scold her.

"I did."

"What was it like?" She had to admit, she was a little curious.

"Very neat, clean and orderly, as if nobody else was living there. He detected me on the second day. He wasn't particularly angry and he did not attack me. He simply told me to leave after giving me breakfast and that he would not report this to the Hokage."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I do not know. Knowledge of Sasuke Uchiha was inefficient. He did leave me dinner the previous night and this seems to be out of his character."

"So he detected you from the start after all!" Rena facepalmed, shocked at how dense Tsu could be. They were distracted by a very sudden, loud buzzing noise. Gate Sixteen slowly rattled open, exposing the unknown terrain of the forest before them. There was a small dirt path, trailing off into the distance behind some bushes. She stepped onto it, trying to see as far down it as she could. "Tsu, please tell me the likelihood of us running into shinobi if we take this path." She signalled Suno, whose ears pricked up and tail unwinded. He stalked into the forest, slowly and carefully, his ears listening for any noise within a sixty-meter radius.

"There's a sixty-seven percent chance that we will run into one of the aforementioned shinobi who we want to avoid."

"Then the trees it is."

They took to the trees, jumping through them, as fast as they could go. A few minutes later, Suno signalled to them quietly, stopping on a branch, his eyes pinpointing their first target. The others stopped, shifting through the trees, circling the clearing. It was a team of shinobi, not from the Leaf, but rather from the Hidden Sand. Rena recognized them as a group that had entered too, one that had been travelling not far behind them. Nobody wanted to stick around Gaara, so they had done their best to stay away. In her head, she apologized but gave Suno and Tsu a nod to set up an ambush. Quietly, while masking any noise she could have made, she jumped down, from tree branch to tree branch, until she was directly over the person who seemed to be their leader.

They were having a rather crude conversation. "Dude, I gotta go. I really, really, gotta go."

"Can't you hold it? Jeez, we're almost there."

"No, we're not almost there. I REALLY gotta go."

The leader of the team sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, go." The shinobi he had permitted to ran off into the bushes and was promptly jumped on by Suno, who knocked him out with a quick strike. Tsukiyomi, on the other hand, began to unleash a puppet that had been strapped to her arm this entire time. Her favorite jutsu was her Chameleon Jutsu, as always. The Jutsu was already active, so no need to reapply it. It was small but hid a bevy of weapons. She hung from the trees by her legs, hair drooping down. Rena prepared to strike, crouching on her branch. Their timing was perfect as Rena dropped from above and landed on one of the team members, wrapping her arm around his neck and holding as hard as she could as she choked him out.

Tsukiyomi's puppet implemented a paralytic as it slashed her poor target's arm. He struggled, trying to get it off of him, but inevitably fell to the ground, unable to move, nor do anything but watch as Rena walked up to him and sifted through his bag. She pulled out the scroll but yowled in disdain. "Damn it! It's the same scroll as ours, we need a Heaven Scroll!" She exclaimed, holding it up in the air to show them their plunder. Suno exited the bushes, his tail flicking as he pulled leaves out of his hair and clothes.

"This was so disappointing as my first fight! Can't we hit something more exciting?" He complained, receiving a glare from Tsukiyomi.

"This isn't a playground, Suno. Take into consideration time management and the fact we could be ambushed by stronger shinobi at any point in time." Tsu scolded.

"Fine, fine! Surely Rena knows where we're going next. Come on, where to, Master?" He looted the unconscious and paralyzed bodies of the shinobi, including any money they had on them.

"Gaara is heading north, so we have to head slightly northwest. Our paths should collide and we can team up. I'm sure there'll be another unwary team of shinobi we can ambush on the way; we only need the Heaven Scroll. I hope we don't make the same mistake again." She was back up in the trees in a flash. Little did she know, the scroll she was carrying would summon a personal hell.

They continued nearly thirty minutes without any sign of another shinobi. However, something strange happened. Suno's arm shot up, preventing Rena from moving forward. "Stop. Don't move."

"Huh? Is there something wrong?"

"Don't speak, either."


	7. 7 - A Risky Fight! Save That Genin!

A small breeze rustled through the canopy of trees above a squad below them, a minute or so away. Massive tree trunks had seemingly been broken to reveal a small clearing, one perfect for an ambush. Suno's ears flicked as he took in their speech. "There should be a few that pass this way. Don't worry, we'll get that Earth Scroll." The boy had his hands on his hips, grinning widely in anticipation. "Su! You're in charge of trapping our victims!" The girl he was speaking to smiled softly as the boy laughed boisterously.

"They have the Heaven Scroll we need," Suno affirmed. "Something tells me they won't be as easy as our previous target."

"You got it, we'll be done with this quicker than the rest." Her voice sounded happy, elated. She made a few hand-signs and suddenly, she stopped. Her teammates stood in shock, watching as a man had come up behind them.

"Little sister..." The girl named Su seemed to freak out, moving to attack the person who had touched her. He delivered a swift kick to the middle of her back, tripping her balance and sending her lurching forward.

"Asahi...? What.. what are you doing here? Where are Hayato and Oomori?!" The panic in her voice was apparent, and all Team Jumping Scorpion could do was watch and wait as her teammates surrounded her, trying to snap her out of it. It seemed like they didn't hear her, however.

"To think I thought of you as my little sister... a disgusting abomination like you." His voice sent chills through Suno's spine. He turned to Rena- he had to get her out of here. That girl was done for. "I sent them home before you had a chance to corrupt them, as you do all things." All Su did was sit there, paralyzed with fear, as he took one step closer. "Get up, abomination."

The girl complied, rising to her feet. It was as if she was hypnotized by her brother. She grabbed hold of one of her teammates, ending their lives with a quick _snap _of their neck. Her other teammate looked on in horror, before brandishing a kunai. "Please, Su, snap out of it! I don't wanna do this to you!" The teammate slid the kunai into her side, narrowly missing embedding it in the girl. Su lurched in for another attack, barely missing the kunai that her poor friend had thrown.

The fighting continued as the man who was supposedly her brother laughed, chillingly. Her friend was striking against her, trying to snap her out of it, stunned by the sudden death of their teammate. Su cursed, her breaths coming in heaving paces as she slammed into the trunk of a tree.

"I can't believe it took me so long... to see what you truly are."

Rena had gotten closer, wondering what was happening. Her head began to hurt, an alien memory of her rushing to the surface.

_Disgusting abomination. You don't deserve to live. I can't believe it took me so long... to see what you truly are._

"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm your sister!" Su cried, her desperation a sinking abyss.

_P-Please... brother, I love you! I'm your sister... you have to stop!_

"Like hell you are!" He yelled.

_You are not my sister. You... are a monster._

Her teammate rushed in, only to be trapped in what seemed like an invisible trap. "Su, no! God, no! Don't listen to him, Su! Snap out of it! Please!" Tears streamed down both her and her teammate's faces.

Her teammate struggled, kicking her back- but seemed to only get further trapped. The teammate thrashed, even more, begging and pleading. "Su... I'm sorry, god, I'm so sorry!"

"Dance of crimson threads.." The girl whispered. Blood splattered against her face and clothing; she looked as if she'd been defeated. The body before her was trapped in a cocoon, one that she didn't even bother touching. She sobbed, dropping to her knees as her brother finally moved to approach her himself. He pulled at her hair, yanking her head back as he placed a kunai at her throat. "But...you..."

"You stupid bitch. You've been sick for years... your touch is off and all it takes to convince you of something is a well-sounded Genjutsu." The blade dug into her neck, a thin line of red welling up beneath the sharp edge and trickling down. "You'll die knowing the deaths of your squad and family are on your hands."

A sudden kick to the face caused the kunai to jolt away from Su's neck, lightly cutting into her but no major damage as Rena stood up. He glared at her, gritting his teeth."Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I'm interrupting you, you sicko! Abomination?! How can you make that judgment when you're doing something like that to your sister!?" Suno and Tsukiyomi stood on either side of her, both poised to fight.

"You understand nothing! Stay out of my way, you don't have to die here!"

"I think it's _you _who doesn't understand. If you get lost, I won't make you eat your shoes!" Rena's claim was bold, only aggravating Su's assaulter more.

"You're picking a fight with someone way above your level, little girl!" He charged forwards, aggressively toward Rena.

"Suno! Tsukiyomi! Let's go! We're taking a detour!"

"Dammit, Rena! Why him?! Although, I guess it's better than some boring asshole."

"Understood. I'll fight with lethal force." Rena blocked a kick with her shoulder, wincing at the pain. That would bruise. On the other hand, Suno approached from the other side only to be backhanded in the opposite direction. He was sent flying, back into a tree. Tsukiyomi glided across the floor with swift and fluid movements, coming in on the other side and striking him firmly, causing him to fly back.

Rena cracked her knuckles, giving the man a cocky smile. "It's not too late to run away, you know!"

"You're going to _regret _this." He began to run forward yet again, making hand signs. "Hidden Mist Jutsu!" A mist began to fill the area, obscuring everything from sight. Rena paused, backing up. She couldn't see her teammates and there wasn't any plan from here on. She looked around the mist, waiting, watching, when the familiar tinkling of a bell hit the ground at least a few meters away from her. The area the tinkling came from exploded, no doubt an explosive tag. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" It was one of Suno's distraction weapons. The mist in that area, however, seemed unaffected and didn't clear, which meant that the man was controlling it and it wasn't normal mist. More bells rang through the air and they exploded one by one.

Suno had been in the mist, his ears and tail flicking. He took a stance. Steps to the north. Steps to the west. If the man knew where they were, he wouldn't be going after the bell senbon he was using. He had been holding the bells and tying a very thin strand of his hair around them, so they wouldn't make a sound until they hit the ground and the hair snapped. So, he was safe, as long as he didn't give away his position. It was clear the man was using sound to determine where they were, as the bell senbon were the only thing he was hitting. Another explosion rang out- damn it, who'd he try and hit?! It was time to go on the offensive. He began to run, hearing steps following behind him. He was quickly engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a man he could barely see, strikes coming from everywhere and anywhere, most of them unblockable and unforeseeable. He needed to get the knowledge he could to the others while still having the guy's attention. "HE CAN'T SEE YOU! HE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, HE CAN ONLY KNOW BY HEARING YOU!"

"You _fool._" The man's biting words were completed with a series of attacks that sent Suno flying. As he hit his head off a tree with a _crack, _his last thought before slipping into unconsciousness was that, at the very least, Rena and Tsukiyomi would do what they could with that information.

Rena, on the other hand, was anxious. His yelling that out meant that he'd been found and she didn't like the empty silence that came after it. She crept forward, careful to avoid making sound, crawling along the ground on her hands and knees until she bumped into Su, who scrambled back. "Woah!" She hissed. "It's alright, it's just me. We're gonna get you out of here, all right?" She offered a hand to the girl, who didn't take it. "I get it. Stranger danger, but we need to go." She wrapped Su's hand in her own and then began to run, taking off in any direction. However, a knee to her stomach stopped her and she slammed backward into Su.

"You're all idiots. Challenging me when you knew nothing about me. There's no reason you could ever believe you'd win against me." Another swift kick to her head caused her to fall to the ground as he grabbed Su's hair, pulling her up off the ground. The mist cleared a little, exposing the party of three as he stepped forward. "You're going to die after her, knowing that you're the reason these innocent Genin died." He spat bitterly, before breaking into laughter.

"Overdrive."

"Huh?"

He hadn't noticed the girl behind him. Her hair was no longer tied up in twin-tails, but swirling around her in a strange, mysterious pattern. Steam escaped her body, chutes flipping out of her body. Her eyes seemed to glow in the steam, a bright, golden yellow, different from the original blue she had before. She dashed forward at a speed none of the Genin were capable yet, kicking the man while grabbing Su and safely putting her on the ground. In that same movement, she dashed to the man who had barely just touched the ground, slamming into him over and over, not giving him the chance to recover. She was like a demon, striking again and again without tiring or relenting. "You threatened my creator. I will not allow such heresy." The waves of bloodlust radiating off of her sickened him. Her fingers twitched and her hair wrapped around him, throwing him and slamming him into the trunk of a tree. She blitzed forward, raising him in the air by his neck and squeezing. He began sputtering and choking, unable to escape her grip.

"W-What the hell are you..? You're not a Genin!"

"I'm not, no." Tsukiyomi replied. "I am a mere creation of the Empire of Blood. A remnant from the previous days... I am no Genin. I am barely human." A smile crossed her face, light, pleasant, fake and terrifying at the same time. "I am a forbidden technique."

"W-what?! Impossible! You can't... you can't create life...! There's no way that Genin did something like this..." More steam exhaled from her body.

She was close to crushing his windpipe as he struggled. "No. That Genin did not. It is a remnant of my Master. I will serve her until she returns." Having enough of this unsettling conversation, the man twisted the girl's arm that had a hold on him, stabbing it over and over and over with a kunai. Blood coated the floor, but still, she held no expression other than her usual one. After a moment, her arm went limp and she dropped him inadvertently.

"I'll be back, mark my words!" He screamed, disappearing into the forest. Moments later, the mist cleared, revealing a rather beaten up clearing. Rena was recovering, Suno was out cold and Su was sobbing. Tsukiyomi walked toward her, dropping to her knees and placing her head in her Master's lap. There was a _Whrrr-click-click, whrrrr-click-click._

"Tsuki...yomi?" Rena breathed, trying to catch her bearings.

"I'm sorry, Master. My Self Puppetry was enough to dissuade him from staying, but I can't... I'm shutting down, Master." Her hair was mixed with the dirt, splaying out all over the ground and Rena's lap. Rena slowly petted Tsukiyomi's hair as the girl's eyes closed and she moved no more. Bonking her head against the tree, Rena winced.

"I dunno... what we can do, but we can't stay here. He might come back and my team is in no shape to fight him off again." Rena said, her breathing heavy.

"I... thank you." Su's voice was quiet, soft. Full of emotion.

"It's gonna be alright. But, we need to start going and fast..." Su made a few hand signs and began weaving something. It turned out that it was some kind of web, similar to a stretcher, that they could both hold and carry the unconscious bodies of Rena's teammates in. "Su...I'm sorry, I overheard your name... can you stand?" Su nodded, appreciative that Rena's voice was gentle. As Rena pulled Su's teammates' bodies into the stretcher, she looked back at her. "Um... I'm sorry. About your teammates. And I'm sorry we didn't interfere sooner."

Su shook her head wordlessly. She picked up her Heaven scroll, offering it to Rena. "I don't think... we'll be needing this anymore. But... I don't know if I want to go on."

Rena looked down at the Heaven scroll, sighing before looking back at Su. "I think... I may need your help now. It may be a bit difficult for you, but Tsukiyomi... she's not waking up anytime soon. I need a third team member. Would you...?" Su's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. Surely, things had looked different to her. Maybe she had even seen her killing her teammates... but she still wanted her? Even though she was dangerous? She stood to her feet, walking up to the stretcher and placing firm hands on it. Rena herself propped Tsukiyomi over her arm and Suno over her piggybacking; she struggled to move. "Gaaaaah! So heaaavy!" Still, she was a shinobi, after all. "All right, let's go. We should keep to the treetops, really- otherwise, we might get a nasty surprise ambush."

She watched as Su let go of the stretcher only for her threads to fly up in the air and wrap themselves around a tree branch, swinging from branch to branch alone. Rena watched in awe as Su took to the branch with ease despite her tears. She didn't know what to do to help her, but... she'd at least help her bury her teammates somewhere pretty.

"That's cool, Su!" Rena said, cheerfully, giving her the brightest smile she could. Su blushed, her expression turning to something more confused. "I've never seen Jutsu like that, and you're amazing for being able to do it! I wish I had something special about me." Rena sighed, looking to the side. "Nothing feels _right, ya know_? So when people like Tsukiyomi, Suno, you, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro... when you all have such special abilities... I wonder where mine are." Rena snapped out of it, jumping on up to the tree branch Su was on. "Don't worry about it! Let's go!" She smiled at her and started to move, Su following closely behind as they ventured through the Forest of Death.

It took about maybe thirty minutes of them pushing forward to finally reach their goal. Rena struck up a rather one-sided conversation the entire way, talking about the direction they were supposed to go and who they were supposed to meet. There wasn't a sign of any other shinobi around, so it seemed like luck was going for them.

Rena decided that, along with Su, they should probably start walking on the ground. Rena was getting tired from carrying the dead weight on her back, nearly slipping off of branches multiple times. They were close to the calculations Tsukiyomi had made at the beginning. As Rena walked into a clearing, she was met with a puppet rushing toward her. She shrieked and it pulled back at the last second, revealing Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro, "Don't freak us out like that, Rena!" Temari scolded, placing her hands on her hips. However, when she saw Su, her expression changed. She placed a hand on her fan, ready for a fight. "Hey, who's this? And what happened to Suno and Tsukiyomi?! Are those...people alive?" She rushed over to assist, Kankuro following. They laid the two out on the ground.

Rena looked at Su, then back to Temari. "It's a bit of a strange story." She wasn't so sure she should tell Temari about the whole thing. Su killing her teammates... they wouldn't let her stick around. "You see, it seems like someone got into the Forest of Death... her brother. And he started doing the most terrible things I've ever seen someone do... he killed her teammates." She glanced at the half-cocoon stretcher, Temari grimacing. "And he was gonna kill her, so I stepped in. And then... there was mist, and I guess Suno couldn't fight him off. He found us, and then Tsukiyomi chased him off, but ended up like that." Kankuro was tending to her as they spoke. "I don't think that Tsu will be in any shape to fight in the Chuunin exams.."

"So you're going to fail, then...?" Kankuro was sympathetic. He knew how much these exams meant to Rena... it wasn't like she was gonna pass them anyways, but to have come this far only to fail mid-way...

"No!" She said, sharply, "I'm not about to just give up. Tsukiyomi and Su are similar, and it's not like anyone remembers what they look like either way! They're easily forgettable in these kinds of situations, which means-"

"You're not thinking of cheating and switching them out, are you...?" Temari's hesitance showed in her voice. "That's impossible, nobody will ever fall for that.."

Rena shrugged. "Might as well try."

"Well, we got you a set of scrolls. I guess it's fine to see if it'd work." Temari offered her the second set they had retrieved from their enemies. "We got some for you on the way. After picking up these, we kind of just started leaving them on the ground." She gestured to Gaara. "There's no point in taking any more; might as well save some for the competition. Gaara's suggestion." Their confidence was almost inspiring.

"It's fine. Su.. had a Heaven Scroll and we have an Earth Scroll." Rena's eyes moved over to Gaara, who looked away from her. Their moment was interrupted by the earth beneath them shaking. Su's threads shot to the trees, Kankuro and Temari picking up either of Rena's injured teammates as they shot to the sides. The earth split into quarters, thrusting everyone into different directions, including Rena, who slammed against the trunk of a tree. The pain made her go dizzy, struggling to get up. Shuriken came from multiple directions and Rena had just barely dodged them by sliding further down the trunk of the tree in a moment of luck. Where her head had been previously, metal was embedded in wood.

She was having a poor time recovering and rolled out of the way of more shuriken thudding into the ground. She couldn't pinpoint the location of her attacker, but she saw sand swarming around the clearing. "Sand coffin." A scream of confusion came from whoever had been throwing tools at her. A wall of sand separated her and her saviour, but she didn't have to guess to know who it was. "Sand burial." The target screamed in agony, blood raining down from the sky. Red flecks and droplets of blood dripped onto her face, running down her cheek and staining her clothes.

The sand that had been circling flowed back into his gourd, as pleasant to watch move as always. Gaara turned around, walking toward her, watching her as she struggled to stand. She suddenly hit the ground, her face crashing into bloodstained dirt. She whimpered, a sharp pang of pain coursing through her leg, where she noticed a strangely-shaped shuriken. She put her finger through the hole, attempting to rip it out as fast as possible, but screamed. "Damn it!" She winced, her fingers raking through the dirt. "It's a barbed shuriken! These are one of the banned items!"

Gaara's arm rose in front of Rena's face and she paused to stare at him quizzically. "Bite me. I'll do it."

"Gaara, I'm not going to-"

"If you bite me, it will hurt less. Either way, I'm going to rip that out of your leg. If you screamed any louder, we'd have shinobi hunting us down." There was no threat here. If it was Rena, even if she drew blood, it was fine. He was in control. _He _was the threat.

There was a rather strange feeling as Rena's teeth grazed against his bare skin. She looked as if she was the rabbit in the situation, despite being poised to bite him. He half expected his sand to swarm to his aid, but it didn't. Gaara had never truly felt physical pain before, but if it was Rena, he supposed he could put up with it. He took hold of the shuriken. She squeezed her eyes shut and he tore it out in one swift moment. Expecting his first blood, he was surprised to see tears trickle down the girl's face, She held her jaw open, her teeth lightly tickling his flesh. "Why didn't you bite me?" He was angered that she didn't obey him, as she promised she would, but she didn't scream, so it should be fine.

"I don't want to hurt you." She replied, "I don't want to draw blood from you, Gaara. And I don't want to be... the first one."

The first one? Was she referring to his history? "Surely it was painful."

"As painful as painful can be, but if what people say is true, you've never sustained an injury before... except that time at the park."

So it was his history. "That was nothing." That was the truth. It'd been a soft hit that he'd barely felt. He determined she was truly no threat to his existence; she was as weak and pathetic as she'd been yesterday and the day before. He shifted through her things, withdrawing a roll of bandages. His touch was uncharacteristically gentle as he wrapped the gauze around her leg, one, two, three, four times. Breaking it off, he slipped her bandage roll into his pocket. He stood up, beginning to walk away, but stopped when she made another sound.

Turning around, he saw that she had moved maybe an inch from where she'd been. She was trying to get up, but the bandages were already soaked with that familiar shade of red. "I don't think... I can walk." She said, looking up at him, her helplessness clear. Why was she always such a thorn in his side? How dare she keep him waiting like this?

Determining that to support her would slow him down more than he liked, he knelt on one knee, his back to her and arms out. "Get on."

"But, Gaara...!"

"I'll leave you here." Taking this as his way of saying that he truly would, she inched closer to him, climbing onto his back. He firmly took hold of her legs, acknowledging that she felt like she weighed almost nothing. Perhaps she had some sort of issue with eating. She strapped his gourd to her back. As he walked on, she held onto him. Her head pressed lightly in between his shoulders and she began to speak.

"Gaara, what happened to you?"

He tensed up, stopping momentarily. He didn't want to get into this, not with her, not here, not ever. "Several things." He replied, trying to dodge the question and hoping that she'd stop asking.

"But.. what?"

"Stop trying to worm your way back into my life, Rena." His words were sharp. Pointed. She winced. "You're the one who abandoned it. You don't deserve to know." His grudge ran deep. In the end, with her back, by his side, he had almost forgotten the pain of the past. How could she have left him when he needed her most? The assassin being his uncle, the fact he was a curse. Nobody loved him. Where had she been all that time? Not there, not with him.

Perhaps he should have just let her rot with her wound, left her behind for someone to kill. But, no, he was going to make her the same as he was; that's the only result he'd accept, the only type of 'forgiveness' he'd give. Her only path to redemption was to lose this notion of love that she had.

After all, if she could become like him... then his world would never change. Then he would never change. Then he'd know his true path was correct...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the remaining team members grouping up in a nearby meadow. It seemed like Tsukiyomi was still out of it and Suno was slowly waking up, doing stretches. Su stood under the shade of a tree, her hair lightly blowing in the breeze as she looked up at it. A cocoon covered in blood lay at her feet, with her teammates' stretcher on the other side.

"The final area is just beyond this meadow. Let's go. There's no time to waste." Gaara pressed forwards, but Rena tugged on his sleeve.

"We can't go yet. Su's teammates..."

He glanced over to their bodies and sighed. His gourd began to shake on her back, sand bursting out of it and digging into the soft earth, pulling out a chunk of it. Su stood over the hole, the threads she was controlling latching onto it and gently lowering them into it. "I'm sorry.." She murmured, under her breath. It seemed like she'd cry one last tear before careening her head upward. The dirt was shoved back into the hole by the sand, which flowed back into his gourd. It suddenly got a _lot _heavier on her back.

"Thanks... Gaara."

The team began to advance into the hall. They were the first arrivals. The cameras panned as they moved, watching them intently...


	8. 8 - Waiting For The Preliminaries!

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_~First Day, First Arrival~_

_The Tower_

**Rena And Gaara's Relationship Level:** 55%

**Rena and Ikari's Relationship Level: [It's Useless To Try. Progression Impossible]**

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"I don't think there's anyone other than us here," Kankuro said, having come back from scanning the area. He shifted the hold on the strap he had over his shoulder, wanting to have a damn rest for once. "I'm starving and I want something to _do_."

"I don't think they'd leave us here with no food. There's probably a vending machine somewhere." Rena said as Suno changed her bandages. They were soaking up blood pretty fast, which was an issue. She was bleeding way too much for a normal wound. It might get to the point where she'd pass out from blood loss. Kankuro had paced around the room for a bit, back and forth.

"Just like I thought, there's no other place to go!"

"We've already waited half a day," Temari muttered. "How much longer are they gonna make us wait?" She looked over to Su, who was sitting beside Rena quietly, not moving, not even blinking. This new girl was strange, even for her tastes. Tsukiyomi wasn't with them; rather, she was in an empty scroll of Kankuro's. Rena and Suno had persuaded him to hide her for the duration of the Exams and that she'd be fine if she just slept.

"Hm?" Kankuro's attention snapped to the echoes of footsteps. Three Hidden Leaf shinobi walked through the area, their heads low, not trying to look in the direction of Gaara, but their chakra and fear was familiar to him. They were the ones who had seen him kill; the ones who hid in the bushes. His eyes moved to the side, disinterested in killing them. Even if he wanted to, he was sure Rena would stop him.

The day dragged on and it wasn't long before a familiar entrant walked into the room, alone. He seemed rather out of it, stopping in front of the Sand Siblings before taking a choice glance at Rena herself. "You got injured, huh? Typical."

"Ikari? Where's your team?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall. "Dead."

"What? I'm so sorry..! The fact that you got this far..."

He blinked once, then twice, rolling his eyes and sighing. "It wasn't like I knew them personally anyways. I was being paid to take them through the Chuunin exams, but they wouldn't listen to me and got eaten by a snake." _That had to be a h-huge snake... _Rena was glad she hadn't run into anything of the sort. "Anyways, there's no rule against not being able to get into the preliminaries even if your team is out of commission."

"Huh...? Really?" She didn't know that. Su might be able to take the exams for herself after all! Tsukiyomi didn't care about being Chuunin, but Su came here to be what she wanted to. So, Rena didn't mind either way.

"You should probably get that wound cleaned as soon as possible," Ikari stated, shrugging. "I'm gonna stay here, but there's a spring 'round back. Cleaned the blood off me there."

"Did you get your scrolls?"

Ikari rubbed his head sheepishly. "Our collected scrolls got eaten by the snake, but I picked some up off some bodies. Just left there. Pretty convenient."

The day passed with very little stimulation. There were a few moments where she wanted to bang her head against the wall. Both Ikari and Gaara were terrible for conversation and Su seemed to just nod her head rather than forming words. Suno was more quiet than usual, a side effect of losing Tsukiyomi for a bit, while Temari had been pulling back Kankuro from babying Rena. Overall, it was peaceful as more and more teams entered the area.

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**~ Day 2, Morning ~**

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"Hope you know how to hunt," Ikari said, kicking Kankuro's leg. "We have to go out there and get some food, cuz there's none in here." Little did they know, there was a vending machine outside, near the spring but around the corner. Nobody was about to tell them that, though.

"We could run into more of the competition out there." Despite Kankuro's hesitance, this perked Gaara's interest. His bloodlust was peaking again and he was being driven out of his mind with boredom. Although, having Rena's attention on him trying to get him to talk to her wasn't too bad.

"Anyone we have to worry about is already here. Whether weak or strong, they're most likely deeper in the forest and ambushing teams. Today, they'll spend their time fighting or foraging. You're probably more likely to run into someone if you go back in the direction you came, which isn't where we're going." Ikari insisted, his eyes flicking to Rena. "Besides, she's injured. She needs sustenance now more than ever and I don't think the children of the Sand have any knowledge of forest terrain."

Rena, like many other participants in the room, had woken to the sound of Ikari and Kankuro's bickering. She winced. Her wound was coated in dried blood by now. "You guys... you probably need help hunting. You should take his offer."

"I don't need any help from you!" Kankuro snapped, irritated by Ikari's personality. He was such a dick! Where did he get off, acting that high and mighty? Dammit! Even if he was right, that didn't mean Kankuro had to like it!

"I would offer to come, but..." Rena gestured to her leg. "I'd just be a liability in the event of an attack."

Temari crouched by her side, offering her a smile meant for only family. "Rena, I was going to take you to the spring outback. The guys should be the ones to forage for food, I am still a lady after all." She helped Rena drape an arm over her neck, pulling her up. "Su can come too. We should probably bathe and hunt for fish at the same time." How dare Temari suggest he get himself wet? Gaara hated water with a passion.

"Are you saying that we should all...?" Rena asked, her face turning red at the thought. "No, no way, we can't!"

"Shinobi and Kunoichi don't have shame, Rena," Temari said, bopping her on the head. "Besides, most of us are like family. I'm not so sure about Ikari and Su, but they'd better keep their distance." She gave them one of her famous glares. Meanwhile, internally, Kankuro was screaming, dancing and jumping with joy as he sang his _points gained _song.

It wasn't that Rena was embarrassed, however, She well understood what it meant to be a Kunoichi. She was terrified of showing her body to others, rather uncomfortable with the scarring on her skin. It was ugly... the type of monster she didn't want to show anyone.

_Only I may love you._

A voice echoed through her head, causing her to wince. Temari caught her before she hit the ground. "Woah, Rena, are you okay?!"

_Do you honestly think anyone else would..?_

Rena shook off the dizziness, using Temari to help steady herself as she stared at Gaara, who stared right back.

_Can you truly, honestly tell me that anyone else would love you after seeing what you are?_

What the hell had that been...? It was an unfamiliar voice that stirred dread deep in the pit of her stomach. So familiar, yet completely alien at the same time. Yet, as soon as the words had come into her mind they faded away as if they'd never been there in the first place, leaving her to wonder if she had simply imagined it. Could... someone have said something like that to her once? But, wouldn't she remember the words more clearly if that was the case? "I think I'd rather wait until we got to a place that has showers," She admitted, trying to weasel her way out of it, but Temari wasn't having it.

"We can't afford to be picky, here, Rena. That wound needs to be cleaned. There's nobody here who can help us and all we have are the medical supplies on hand- which aren't many." Temari shook her head, helping Rena over to Kankuro, "Brother, we can't risk her wound opening back up again. Walking will just increase her blood flow, so you're going to have to carry her there."

"I'm gonna stay here," Suno replied, quietly. He'd seemed a bit down lately. "I'll protect the Scrolls. Don't worry." Temari felt like she could truly trust Suno in protecting their key to getting further into the exams, so she nodded.

Kankuro picked Rena up bridal- style, his face flushing red. Their relationship was progressing fast, right? Way too fast. The next step would be consummation- No, he couldn't be thinking about that right now! His heart was hammering away in his chest as Rena wrapped her arm around the back of his neck. He swore he was gonna explode just from touching her!

He felt Gaara's glare on his back. Wait, why was his brat of a brother disrupting this tender moment and advancement in their relationship!? No way! He wouldn't be having it! He did his best to ignore Gaara's gaze, advancing as quickly as possible.

_Twenty Minutes Later_

They had finally made their way to the spring behind the building. Surprisingly, there was plenty of fish and a fast-moving river that kept them from moving upstream. Everyone was busy stripping down to their underwear, which was what Temari thought was going to happen in the first place. As Temari helped Rena undress, she finally realized why the girl was so reluctant to get out into the water without clothing on. Her hands softly ran over the scars, causing Rena to jump up and fall over, smashing into the ground. "Ouuuch.."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have touched without asking." Temari pulled her up, sitting her down on the rock and undoing her bandages. The wound looked rather nasty. They should have cleaned it last night, but Rena had been so exhausted that she'd conked out. "I see why you didn't want to take a bath with everyone, but we need to get your wound cleaned."

Rena sighed, nodding. "I know. Let's go."

Meanwhile, while the girls were talking [With Su in the corner, not undressing], Kankuro had stripped down to his underwear. He had forgotten, however, to remove his headpiece and jumped into the spring without really thinking about it. Several events were set in motion; the first being Kankuro's hat floating to the top of the water. Kankuro's makeup washed off in the flow of the river and he came back up for air, his hair blowing in the wind as if it was a hair commercial. "Damn! That feels good!"

Rena slowly edged her way into the water, holding herself as close as possible and trying to make herself small so she wouldn't be as noticed. Luckily, her lower half would be submerged, so not as noticeable. The water was cold, but not unwelcome and she watched as red seeped into the water from her wound. Temari splashed into the water beside her, with Su simply sitting on a rock and kicking her feet now and again. Fully clothed. Nobody was quite sure about her deal.

Ikari, on the other hand, walked into the water with that same confidence and swagger as always. He was a little taller than Kankuro, which, of course, irritated our not-protagonist. The water in front of Ikari burst up and he caught a fish. Then another and another as they flew up into the air and landed in his palms. "What?! How are you doing that?!" Kankuro demanded, wanting to catch more fish than him.

"Secrets of the trade," Ikari responded, rolling his eyes. Kankuro proceeded to try and catch fish, desperately, with his hands, failing and crashing face-first into the water each time. Ikari's pile was progressively growing, on the other hand, on a strip of neatly-placed leaves. It was clear that Kankuro was feeling inferior as he tried even harder.

Gaara had been standing by the edge of the water. He didn't want to enter, but he supposed he had to. Dipping his toe in, he found it was pretty much ice cold, an unwelcome contrast to a warm day. In the end, he decided against getting into the water and reclothed himself, watching as Kankuro and Ikari competed to secure the most fish.

Ikari won.

**X**

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**Day 3/4**

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Altogether, the party had collected enough food to last them for the rest of their time there, including nuts and berries. Ikari had roasted and dried the fish in the sun, making for a snack that didn't need refrigeration. They had ventured around a little more, looking at all of the rooms, only to find whiteboards in some marked '5'. They discussed it, theories about what it meant, but the most popular one among them was that on the final day, something would happen.

While Rena's wound got better, it seemed like she slept even more. Throughout the day and night, Temari sat by her side, sleeping beside her. Su was on the other side while the boys kept watch at night and the girls did during the day. Temari had, luckily, brought a book with her that she intended to read through. She snacked on berries she had picked, enjoying the pleasant summer breeze.

Ikari and the boys seemed to get up and move around a lot. It was strange that Ikari was staying with them, but nobody except Kankuro complained since he had assisted them. Why they didn't know. He should have been put off by Gaara, as most usually were, but he wasn't.

In the end, they took turns tending Rena's wound and all was fine and dandy until the very last day.

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**Day 5**

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They had, in anticipation, set up camp in a room with one of the whiteboards. It was going to be a long day, so they'd all decided to sleep at the same time. However, they were jolted awake by Temari shaking them. "Gaara, Kankuro, Rena, look! The board!" She pointed at the board that had once held the number of days they had to wait on it and read out the riddle to them. "If qualities of heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When heaven and earth are opened together, the perilous path will become righteous forever. The 'blank' is the secret way that guides us from this place today."

"'Blank'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kankuro muttered, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes lazily. "Someone else solves it, I'm going back to bed." He flipped over, clearly not interested in participating. Ikari, on the other hand, had been propped up against a wall. His eyes had been closed the entire time, but they flicked open almost perfectly as if he hadn't been sleeping in the first place.

"That's an easy answer. Open those scrolls at the same time."

"Huh?" Suddenly, Kankuro was up. "You think you know everything, huh?!" He grabbed Ikari by his shirt. "Anyone could figure that out! I figured that out before you! Anyways, if you're so right, why aren't you doing anything?!"

"I'm not going to open my scrolls. I'll just follow whatever happens when you do."

"That's shady as hell!"

"Kankuro, stop complaining," Temari said, turning around to watch Gaara take their scrolls out of their bag. He jolted both of them open, throwing them on the floor as the summoning Jutsu activated. A single figure exploded from the mist, stepping out of it with poise and elegance.

"Baki?" Temari and Kankuro asked at the same time, in shock and awe that it was him coming out of the scroll. Gaara, on the other hand, simply turned his head away.

"Yes. You may want to open Rena's scroll, too." He glanced around the room, taking in the architecture of the Hidden Leaf. What was so impressive about wooden walls, anyways?

Su took one of Rena's scrolls, and Suno took the other. They looked at one another for what was possibly the first time and tore open the scrolls as fast as they possibly could, laying them down on the floor as the Sand Siblings had before them.

**A woman's figure emerged, her headband the first to come out of the smoke. It was scratched and scuffed, hanging around her neck. She had a cigarette on her lip, caught in between two of her fingers, the other hand resting on her hip. She wore shorts and a tank top, not very shinobi-like, but closer to casual wear. Her shoulder-length black hair swayed in a draft from one of the many cracks in the walls of the old building, crystal blue eyes scanning the area as she grinned. "The hell took you all so long?" She flicked the cigarette onto the floor, stomping it out with the heel of her boot. The appearance of Sansa caused Rena to spring to her feet, eyes widening as she took in the sight of her mother and teacher. Sansa Hikari seemed like she had gotten better at her swearing issue; her first word wasn't crude.**

**She remembered Sansa fondly as the reason why she and Gaara interacted in the first place. Without Sansa's words of wisdom, she'd never had even spoken to him or given him a chance as she did.**

**_'Judging a book by its cover is like callin' the Kazekage a shithead. They're both impractical and most likely gonna get ya killed. At the worst, maimed.'_**

**Her eyes stopped on Rena, and her smile faded. She sighed, before walking over to her and smacking her on the head. Then began the tirade. "You lil FUCK! You never even came to see me, you lil shit!" Nope, the swearing problem was still there. As she shook the dazed young girl, she continued, "I had to go to the Kazekage and scream 'bout a few things and after that, I had to deal with this asshole over 'ere!" She thrust a thumb in Baki's direction, who stifled a chuckle. Sansa and Baki had known each other before he'd become a teacher to the Sand Siblings.**

**"So, Baki," Rena was trying her best to keep herself from throwing up with how dizzy Sansa shaking her was making her, "Has Sansa changed any?"**

**"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Sansa snapped, "I'll gut you!"**

**"No, but the Hidden Sand's Devil Tactician never slept. When you vanished, she entered the regular troops and moved to the top of the chain, becoming quite important to the Kazekage and the Village as a whole."**

**"Hey!" She turned to Baki, pointing at him. "When you describe my life in six years, you don't just leave out some fucking details!"**

**He shrugged. "And she became my Fiancée.."**

**Rena's mouth almost dropped to the floor; it was quite the unexpected turnabout. Baki preferred quiet and seemed to be a rather reserved man, while Sansa was crass and loud. They were exact opposites and in no way the perfect match for each other. "Anyways, Baki supported me when you decided to go an' disappear. I looked for you every day, kiddo." Her voice switched from her usual loud to a more tender, soft tone. This was a shock, as Sansa usually showed her care as a form of violence, usually by punching people. She knelt by Rena's leg, getting her to sit down. "You took a nasty hit here, kiddo. Lemme fix you up." She removed the bandages, making a few hand signs. "Healing Sparrow Technique! Waking Sparrow!" She placed her hands above the injury, blue light and warmth surrounded her leg, allowing the wound to close up in no time. She got up and patted her hands on her shorts. Her eyes moved over the room, noticing Su and Ikari. "Who're you?"**

**"Ah, this is Su!" Rena rushed to introduce her new friend, before catching herself. "I mean, Tsu...Tsuki... Tsukiyomi. She was in the village with me, remember?"**

**"I could have sworn she looked hella different, but I was at a distance..." Her eyes flicked to Ikari. "And you?"**

**He shrugged. "Nobody."**

**It seemed like Sansa was going to fire back, but she paused. All of the hairs on the back of her neck raised and she could feel goosebumps up and down her arms as she felt chakra that she had never expected to feel again. "Impossible," she whispered, the blood draining from her face as a team of three moved toward them.**

**Kana Yoru and her team seemed to be intruding whatever rooms they could find. They'd been accompanied by a Jonin, but Rena had never seen him before, anywhere. Kana's team consisted of two females and a male- all of them shared extremely similar traits, such as their hair and eye colors. Kana's eyes were empty, yet filled with a familiar desire Gaara recognized all too well- a yearning for blood.**

**"This isn't over, Hikari. I am looking forward to killing you... and proving you're exactly who I think you are."**

**"Whatever, psycho!" Rena muttered, shaking her head and sighing. "Sansa, do you know her? She won't leave me alone."**

**"No," Sansa responded quickly, much too quickly for Rena's liking. "I've never seen her in my life." Rena nodded, but she was wondering if Sansa was lying to her. She had her suspicions. However, Sansa seemed to have regained her original disposition quickly enough. "Anyways, you little shit, why would you agitate someone to the point of them wanting to kill you? You're such a damn burden."**

**"I love you too, Sansa."**

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**As you know, bolded words mean that it's a scene meant to be rewritten! **


	9. 9 - The Seal Breaks!

Rena's eyes were plastered on the board that held the names of the contestants. Several people had dropped out, leaving just enough for a perfect set of battles; everyone was antsy, some were aggressive and others just wanted the Chuunin exams to end. Most were eager, however, to start their fights, even if a few had already passed by. Gaara was unsettlingly quiet, having never torn his eyes from Sasuke's fight. She turned her head a little to watch his unchanging expression, before looking back to the board, which flickered and starting moving before it came to a grinding halt, everyone watching in obsessive anticipation as they'd see who'd get to fight next.

Ikari and Su stood a little to the left, apart from each other and barely acknowledging one another. Ikari himself didn't seem as interested in the boards as he should be, while Su seemed to be fiddling with some of her webbings.

The arena was quiet enough to hear a kunai drop as the announcer coughed into his fist, looking at the board himself. "Suno Akagari versus Kana Yoru." Suno's name being called caused him to look up, startled. His head swiveled to the left, then the right, as he stood up with urgency and surprise. Kana let out a small chuckle, before grabbing the railing and hoisting herself over it, displaying her fit legs. Suno backed up a little, hesitant, but his face changed from hesitant to suddenly determined as he stepped forward.

"I'm not going to go easy on you, Suno 'Akagari.'" Her hand pointed towards Rena with vigor, her eyes filled with hatred. "I'm going to defeat you and get to the finals, so I can fight that monster!" Her declaration alerted Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. Gaara's hands gripped the railing, his eyes moving to Rena. There was something he didn't know about her, which meant there was something he didn't trust about her. He wanted to know everything. Everything that Rena kept from him, he wanted to see. He grit his teeth. They were just going in circles again. Every time he thought he knew all there was to know, she surprised him yet again.

Suno's foot slammed on the railing in a cocky manner, causing it to jolt and Gaara to let go of it. In his eyes was a fiery, aggressive stare, one that pierced Kana, but the enemy didn't hesitate. "I will protect Rena. I will put you out of commission."

"Suno..." Rena's worried tone caused him to look back and he saw the look on her face. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to fight that weird girl!"

"Relax, Rena. I won't let Kana get to the finals. You have my word." His smile instilled confidence in the girl, her worries slowly washing away in Suno's confidence. She smiled at him, tilting her head and trying her best to stay positive. As Suno hopped up to the railing, he looked down at Kana with his shitstarter grin, hands in his pockets. "You ready to fight, Kana?"

"I'm ready to do whatever I need to do as long as I can get access to her."

Suno hopped down from the railing and started walking toward the other side of the arena, it was like a staring deathmatch. Neither looked away from one another. "Remember, keep it clean, guys..." As Suno positioned himself to start, so did Kana, readying themselves for battle. Neither responded to the announcer. He rose his hand in the air, sighed at the intensity, and then brought it down. "Go!"

It was like a split-second start; both were equally fast, with equal footing. Suno and Kana blitzed forward and the only thing anyone could see was the flash of sparks as their kunai rang against each other. As Kana paused to make a hand sign, Suno's leg lashed out, breaking her finger lock and her concentration. She growled at him, but there was a cheer. "Yeah! Go Suno! You can do it!" Suno gave a wave and a flamboyant dodge. He narrowly sidestepped a kunai, a small cut forming on his cheek.

"You're not gonna let this smooth cat be smooth?" He put a hand to his chest as if gripping the spot over his heart. "Oh, Kana, if only you'd let me seduce you..."

"Stop fooling around!" She barked, getting more annoyed. She felt like she was being mocked by his extravagant behavior. He seemed to dance around everything that she was trying to do. "You want a damn fight? I'll give you one!" She charged forward, switching up her style. Suddenly, Suno wasn't keeping up so well anymore. Some strikes, he dodged, but others struck his frame. He felt a sharp pinch in his arm and jumped away, noticing she had managed to stick a kunai in it.

Suno ripped it out and it clattered to the ground. It seemed she was using a different style of Taijutsu than she'd been doing before, her fluid moments graceful and encapturing. As both charged in for round two, Kana's strikes had sped up, becoming more precise as time carried on. Soon, Suno couldn't keep up at all, dodging at most less than half of her attacks.

He backed up, getting some distance. The fight wasn't going in his favor, and Kana didn't seem to have any stamina loss. "Fine?! You wanna get serious? Black Cat Release!" His ears flipped up, tail unwinding from his leg as his chakra spiked. He got back on all fours, leaving the crowd in awe as they watched him speed forward.

"Gai-sensei! Have you ever seen such a thing!?"

"No, Lee! No, I haven't! This is a first for me too!"

"A kekkei Genkai, maybe?" Neji asked, puzzling over how the existence of such a release could be supported otherwise.

Rena stepped up onto the railing. "Go, go, go! Do your best, Suno! Show them you're not a kitty cat to be messed with or I'll make you eat kitty kibble for the rest of your life!"

Suddenly, the tides had turned. Suno's assault was relentless, blow after blow combining into a flurry of combos, getting Kana on the defensive. She couldn't fight back with tools because of his change in ability; however, he looked back to Rena. "HEY! Don't threaten me with that shit, I hate it!" In his moment of distraction, Kana gained traction, a few shuriken thudding into his leg. "Damn it, ow! I'm gonna be filled with holes by the end of this!"

"That's the point!" She snapped, delivering a kick to his chest. As he slid back he changed course, running in a circle around her, darting in for a blow and then out for a pause. This continued for a minute before it seemed like Kana got tired of it. "I've had enough of your games! Tsubasa!" The cracking of bones filled the air as something white slammed into Suno, stopping him dead in his tracks and sending him flying until he hit a wall on the other side of the room. It was gone as soon as it had been seen, though. Nothing but feathers remained, gently floating down to the ground. Suno twitched, careening his head upwards.

"Dammit... what was... that?"

"Tricks of the trade!" She replied, but she was already in front of him. She gave him an uppercut, getting him in the air before grabbing him by his shirt and slamming him face-first into the ground. Drawing her leg back, she gave him a swift kick in the ribs. He slid across the floor, struggling to get up, but he wasn't nearly fast enough. She descended on him like a hungry wolf, tearing into him any way she could.

This continued until it was clear Suno was no longer able to stand. After he'd stopped moving for a second. Kana stood over his body and gave him a kick to the face. At this point, he was an unresponsive ragdoll. "Suno!" Rena yelled, "Get up, dammit! You were doing so well!"

He made no move to stir, staying on the ground as Kana dug the heel of her shoe into his hand. There was the cracking sound of bones as she applied pressure. In a split flash, Rena was there, aiming a punch at her. She quickly sidestepped.

"Through intervention, Kana Yoru wins."

"That's ridiculous!" Rena snapped, checking Suno over. "He's out cold! You can't just say that after watching him get beat up!" She tried waking him, but he wouldn't. It would probably take a few minutes.

"Remember the fate of your pet, Rena Hikari, because that's how you're going to end up next," Kana said, walking past her with a cocky smile. "It's just going to be much slower." They swapped glares, Rena picking up Suno and supporting him back up to the second-floor balconies, where Sansa began to tend to him. The show still had to go on, so they couldn't just stop here.

All attention was back on the board after the gripping fight between Suno and Kana Yoru. Only a few people had paid attention toward the end, because of what Kana did to Suno. The next set of names that flashed on the board didn't seem too promising; it was clear that some expected nothing from this fight as a few shinobi broke off to go get some food or go to the bathroom. "Shinji Yoru versus Rena Hikari." He was useful if you couldn't read. No offense to Su. As Rena began to go, Su grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Good luck. And don't be too noisy." Su, although not able to see, could tell that Kana and Shinji were exchanging an object thanks to her special hearing abilities. One must, after all, adapt when they are blind. "Be careful of that one. He has something."

"Well, Rena Hikari?" Shinji was grandstanding, walking down the stairs to the middle of the room. "Are you gonna fight me, or are you gonna waste my time?" He rose his hands in the air, making a gesture for her to come towards him. She began to snicker, putting her hands on her hips.

"I wouldn't dare waste your time!" She did seem to take her sweet time getting down the stairs, though, much to Shinji's annoyance. She waved to Su, Sansa and the sand siblings as Sansa finished tending to Suno.

Walking over to the railing and gripping it, prepared to watch the coming fight, she was not eager to know the results. Her worry infected her to her very core. This was one of Rena's first fights since she got back. Did she have to worry about the seal she had placed on Rena, and if such was the case, how would she replace it in this day and age? Forbidden techniques didn't exactly grow on trees. The way Rena fought this battle would be the difference between life and death; if she was slipping back into the patterns of her old ways, then the seal wouldn't last for much longer. She prayed for Rena and the seal, knowing that if the Yoru were here, it meant that they knew Rena survived... despite all odds.

However, there was a deeper danger than what was on the surface. Everyone she and Rena knew would realize they had been lied to, their entire lives. Maybe saying 'twisted the truth' would be more applicable to the situation, but Baki wouldn't take that as an acceptable response.

But then, the final concern. There were four from the Yoru clan in this room and therefore four messengers. Four people who could report back to Tsukioji Yoru within three days, four people who could ruin their lives. Either way, Sansa had gone over her options and she knew she didn't have many outs. If she killed them all, Tsukioji would smell foul play and the Hidden Leaf may turn on the Sand. If she let them leave, Tsukioji would know anyways.

All or nothing and all was the only option.

The sound of metal clanging against metal broke her from her thoughts. The battle had already begun while she'd been lost in deep thought. If what was already terrible got even worse, she would jump in to stop the battle. Rena had just deflected a kunai with the one she had pulled from her pouch. Shinji was sizing up his opponent before diving into rocky waters. He needed to know whether she was long-range, or close-range. "I want to be the one to kill you."

His sneer as he brandished another kunai almost made Rena roll her eyes as he charged forward, striking at her as she deflected one blow after the other. They progressively sped up and changed patterns, getting harder to defend from. She flipped the kunai to a different position in her hand, one that felt comfortable and struck upwards, tearing Shinji's shirt a little. Rena herself had yet to move more than a few steps, as she was on the defensive. There was no unique Jutsu, so nobody was all that interested.

Knowing that the fact Rena was barely budging was a problem, Shinji decided to give her initiative, making a hand sign. His speed and weaving were done with such ease that it made it look generally easy, even though it meant he was at an advanced level. "Poison Spore Jutsu!" Clouds of dust burst from his mouth, filling the lower level of the room at an alarming speed. Rena had nowhere to go as all exit points were cut off and she was pushed into the circle. The spores covered her in seconds and the crowd was now more invested as they heard her violent coughs.

"Wind Style: Raging Wind Current!"

Wind burst from where Rena was as she broke the last hand sign she made, clearing out and weakening the spores. The tides of battle had turned against Rena's favor, but it wasn't over yet, even if the poison was infecting her system. She threw a smoke grenade at the floor, masking her presence and making eyesight useless. Su, however, could see, as smoke meant nothing to her. While Shinji struggled to find her, Rena came from behind with a roundhouse kick that landed itself straight in Shinji's face. As she planted both feet on the ground while he was falling she raised her other knee, sending it painfully in between his shoulder blades, causing him to sputter out air.

It wasn't over yet. She grabbed the back of his head with her hand and smashed him downwards, onto the ground. Her specialty wasn't heavy-hitting, but maybe this would be enough to make him give up. She needed medical attention and that was becoming more prominent with every cough and wheeze. Still, she pushed through her illness,

"Wind Shuriken!" Chakra formed in between each of her fingers outlining the shuriken she already held, a shape familiar to anyone who claimed themselves any kind of shinobi. An enhancing Jutsu. She whipped them in Shinji's direction, but he moved to the side in time, having recovered from her blows faster than she intended. Everyone saw that both Shinji and Rena were injured, and it was clear the fight would come to a draw if nothing changed.

But something would change. Kana smiled as Shinji tore something from his back pocket and dashed toward Rena. Not expecting it, she raised her arms to shield herself and smacked it right on her chest. "What the hell?! Are you guys trying to blow me up?" As he backed up, she prepared for pain, but nothing came. She dropped her arms, looking around the arena, before taking a look at the tag. It seemed blank. "...Your stupid tag is defective, thankfully."

It was only when she pulled it off that she felt something. Suddenly, her veins were on fire. She dropped to the floor, squirming and writhing and clawing at her flesh to the point where blood dripped from her skin, onto the floor. Red... but something was happening. As she sobbed, it wasn't tears she was crying.

"Make it stop!" She screamed, "Sansa! Sansa!"

"What the heck?! What's that purple stuff?" Naruto pointed at the girl, his voice echoing through the hall.

Sansa knew she couldn't intervene. "You fools. Look what you've done... Rena, don't fight it. Just let it happen."

"I think I've freed a beast," Kana replied, giving Sansa a cocky smile. It was clear that the jonin didn't know whether or not to stop the fight. These idiots broke the first seal. The sand siblings were watching, each with worried faces, save for Gaara himself.

"What's happening to her?" Baki asked, his face hard as always. Sansa didn't know how she was going to explain it.

Rena struggled to her knees from the ground, finally looking up. Instead of the preliminary hall, however, she saw elsewhere, a place and memory long gone.

A field of golden wheat, swaying in the breeze as the sun set. Instead of being somewhat blue as it should have been, it was a nightmarish red, one that filled her vision. Standing in the middle of this field was a man covered in the deadly shade of black, back turned to her.

Screams filled her ears, screams of people dying, suffering and burning alive. She became aware of the blood, oh god the blood, that watered the fields red.

Suddenly, the man turned back to perceive her, his eyes the color of the blood that had been shed. His thirst for vengeance and need for retribution, to punish sin, was overwhelming. He rose his hand, and-

She screamed for mercy, for help, for him to stop, that he didn't understand what sin truly was. Not towards Shinji, but open air. "Has she gone insane?" Neji asked, activating his byakugan. Small disturbances swirled in the air around her.

The screaming stopped and the area was silent as Rena's head rose, eyes clear of pain, but it was clear that the person there was not the one that anyone here knew. She stood to her feet. Her gaze was ice-cold, almost queenly, as she looked around. "You said twenty years, Sansa." Chills ran through each Shinobi and Kunoichi she looked at, an alien gaze.

"I apologize, Lady Rena." Sansa's tone snapped from what it had been, usually demeaning, to something oozing with respect and subservience. Baki stared at her like she was insane.

"It wasn't twenty years, Sansa."

"What do you want from me, to put you in a coma?!"

"No." Rena stretched out her hands, but all Shinji could do was stare at her. "That isn't my only qualm. The seal has been broken crudely. I can't remember anything other than details about myself..." A shuriken whizzed past her head as she leaned to the side, ignoring it.

"It's her." Kana's eyes were filled with rage, anger, hatred but most of all glee as she clutched the railing like it was life support. "It's her. We've found her."

She began walking towards Shinji, dropping her other hand to her side as she pointed at him. "Really, this is all quite the rude awakening. I don't... like you. So, you die." Suddenly, she flipped her wrist so it was facing up and taking a kunai, she cut it. Temari gasped, horrified. For a moment, nothing happened, but suddenly, blood flowed from the cut as if it was floating. "Blood... Javelin."

It was like the blink of an eye as several spears of blood penetrated Shinji's flesh from different directions, causing him to scream in agony.

Her eyes were dead. Non-feeling.

The hall was basked in silence, almost everyone who knew her confused and worried. Su didn't sense the same person that she had been before anywhere; it was her voice, but it wasn't her. The strangeness of the situation made many people uncomfortable, but it seemed Ikari's eyes were glazed over as he watched her move to the left, then to the right.

She stretched her palms out, upwards, cracking her neck before placing her arms back at her side. Her shoulders shifted. "Still no wings, huhn?" While her statements to herself were cryptic at best, she absentmindedly ignored the blood dripping from her wrists. People waited to see if Shinji would get back up, but his blood dripped from his body. He didn't seem to be moving, let alone breathing, speared through by the javelins. She finally looked at the corpse before her, cocking her head. "I wonder who told you to screw around with my head. Was it Tsukioji?" Walking up to the boy, she pulled up his head by his hair, revealing his terrified, surprised stare trapped forever on his face in his moment of death. "Tell him... that I send my regards from hell. I'll come for the Undying, for as he is, am I." She planted a kiss on the poor victim's cheek, before stepping away.

She strutted around the floor a little more, taking in the scenery. Her head jerked in a direction. Before her, there was a cat. It was unlike any anyone had ever seen before, seemingly made of wisps of shadows. It dashed towards her, into her body. She fell to her knees, the awareness in her eyes fading as she clutched her stomach. A spike of alienistic chakra hit the more learned shinobi in the room, ones who knew how to detect it.

Suddenly, the solid javelins of blood burst into liquid, spraying the floor in bizarre patterns. Rena began to tremble, her palms hitting the floor. She began to breathe, heavily, before looking up at the body and scrambling back, panicking. She felt like she was going to scream, but before she could, Suno was there, despite his wounds. His hand and arm covered her eyes, causing her to calm. "Su...no..?"

He didn't care who was in the room. "It's alright, Master. I will always be your faithful servant at your side. It's not yet time for you, so I'll be here." He made a hand sign with his free hand, putting his fingers up to his lips. A low ringing sound, barely detectable, filled the room. "Forget. I bid you to forget everything that troubles you. There's no need to worry. You don't have to understand or know anything just yet. So... please, just forget and let us protect you." He withdrew his hand and she fell to the floor, collapsing. Suno stood. "Hey, judge. You gonna call it, or what? You should've done that when that guy died."

The announcer was wordless, not knowing whether he should report this to the Hokage or let it be. Still, this was hardly something to report in the middle of the exams... Bizarre behavior like this was unusual, for sure. "I'm... not sure."

"Look, she has some kind of trauma, all right? What matters is I've got the Jutsu to calm it down, so get on with it already!" He supposed that would explain her actions, but that jutsu she used with her blood... something didn't sit well with the announcer. Still, he had to call it as it was.

"...Rena Hikari... wins this match."

Dead silence. This added a whole new layer to the Chuunin exams. That Jutsu she showed... it wasn't anything anyone in this room but a few people would know. The way she effortlessly killed that person, people were beginning to see that maybe Gaara wasn't the real monster here after all. Naruto couldn't say anything, because she had always seemed so gentle before the snap in every interaction.

There had been a small break in between fights, giving most of the more injured people a chance to recover. Another fight played through and Rena and Suno were pretty much back to good.

The next fight was about to happen and everyone looked on. It was interesting to study all of the potential opponents. "You failed, huh?" Ikari asked, leaning over the railing next to Suno and Rena. "Should've spent more time fighting than talking."

"Hey! Says you! You're always talking!" Kankuro bitched, ranting and raving in the background as Ikari ignored him.

"I dunno. At least Rena succeeded, these exams don't mean half as much to me. I don't even know what they're for." Suno shrugged.

"Then, wait, why are you here?" Temari asked. "Surely you've heard of how important they are to a shinobi's career. And they're the Chuunin exams! It's in the name!"

"I don't know what a chuunin is and I didn't listen to anyone when it was being explained. All Rena said was that she needed a team of three to participate so Tsukiyomi and I volunteered." He waved her off, leaving everyone else to wonder where exactly Suno had come from if he didn't even know what a Chuunin was.

"I won't make you eat kitty kibble this time, Suno." Rena patted him on the back. "Don't worry!" On the other hand, Rena herself was the biggest mystery here. Nobody was acknowledging the biggest elephant in the room, they didn't even know what to say to her, or if they should ask. The first thing she had asked when she came around was if she had won the battle she fought. Suno had acted normally as if he had no part in it, but it just provided more questions. Still, Temari and Kankuro were terrified to ask her in case what happened then happened again.

Gaara, on the other hand, barely tore his eyes away from her. What secrets did her mind hold, things she wasn't telling him? And that blood...he wanted to imbue his sand with it. No, he wanted to bask in it himself. His sand wouldn't be able to keep the blood; he'd have to absorb it all through his skin. More than anything, he wanted to get his hands on a drop of her blood, to taste it and keep it inside him. It made his stomach feel a little funny thinking about it; he himself had never thought about consuming blood, but hers was such a beautiful color that he couldn't help himself.

He caught his strange behavior before he started breathing heavily, but his fever was still getting worse. He wanted more than just to stand and look at her; he wanted to violate all he could that was Rena and break her thoroughly. Only then would she truly be his… there was never enough blood.

What snapped him out of his obsessive stupor was Rena's fingers grazing against his cheek. He paused, his eyes flicking to them, making no move to stop her from touching him. "Sorry. It seemed like your mind was elsewhere and you were looking at me in a weird way." The urge to break her faded. He could feel his pulse slow to a normal beat. He'd get a chance to consume her blood at some point, even if now wasn't that time.

"The next match is about to begin if you'd all turn your attention to the board.." They both turned their heads to the board, names spinning. People waited, in anticipation, some eagerly gripping the rails. "Huh…?" Silence fell upon the room. "That… is that right..?"


	10. 10 - Ikari VS Dami

Ikari hopped over the rail, landing on the ground gracefully. He ran a hand through his short, black hair, his red sclera the focus of the room. "Well? Aren't you gonna announce this match's opponents?"

"Ikarinochi Hikari."

"WHAAAAAAAT?" Rena grabbed onto the rail, her outburst causing Suno to jump. "Wait, why do you have my last name?!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Kana had said at the same time. She turned to glare at Rena. "This is impossible! It's just… you're… you're the last one!"

"What are you talking about, you crazy asshole?! Sansa's the only other Hikari I know!" Rena snapped, resulting in another glaring battle.

The announcer and Ikari waited patiently for the two to calm down. "Ikarinochi is such an ugly name. I was named after my Kekkei Genkai…" His eyes moved to Rena. Sansa herself looked as if she had seen a ghost. "So, I prefer Ikari, really."

"Alright, well… Ikari Hikari versus Dami." What looked like a rather sturdily built young man came down, not speaking. It seemed he held up flashcards, one with an X, over his mouth.

"So you're mute."

Dami nodded.

"Well, I'll make this fast." Another X card. Ikari laughed. "You see, it's different. Originally, I would have just opted out, 'cuz I don't really care about the chuunin exams," That seemed to be a recurring theme, "But after finding someone like me... " His disposition changed, his expression one of a sadistic child looking at an ant they were about to crush. "I think I want to pass this exam after all. So, I'll be giving it my all. Accept me, please." Dami nodded, getting into a fighting stance.

"Sansa, why does he have our surname?" Rena had been pelting her with questions, confused as all hell. Sansa couldn't keep up and Baki could see her getting dizzy. He had questions, but he figured Sansa would tell him in due time… right? The woman he was marrying… wouldn't keep anything from him…

"All right, let's see it happen. Fight!"

Ikari was fast! He jumped back, clapping his hands together… but nothing happened. "Just kidding. But, hey, let me take it seriously." He took a kunai out of his pocket and in a similar fashion to what Rena had done before, pressed it against his wrist. He looked up, with Dami simply watching him, waiting, preparing. "Almost forgot… Rage Blood Release." As he slit his wrist, his sclera turned progressively from red to black, like ink in blood, completely consuming them until all he had left was nothing but darkness. Blood poured from his arm, but not in the way most would imagine- it went up. It was different than the purple Rena had, in the fact it was completely pitch black.

And then it began. It flowed toward Dami with a speed and intensity that made him jump away, but the blood closed the gap within seconds. "Come on, you can't just dodge! Come at me, do something that would actually get you somewhere!" Seemingly taking his advice, Dami sprinted towards him, avoiding the blood… but again, it was there, in a flash, piercing his leg as it formed some kind of drill. Ikari leaned against the wall, playing with a kunai. He spun it round and round with his index finger, laughing. "Come on, this won't get my blood pumping! You're going to slow my production and put me to sleep at this point!"

Dami let out a silent scream as he tripped over, crashing into the ground. The blood went for him again, but he seemed to be learning that Ikari seemed to go in for rushes. The moment to dodge was the very last, so he couldn't redirect his blood in time. "Please, I'm going to bleed out by the time you get anywhere near me!" His constant belittlement held the crowd's attention. It was bizarre that two people had the same kekkei Genkai, yet didn't know about it. Ikari hadn't at all been surprised about Rena's, but she, on the other hand, was shocked. She barely knew it was a kekkei Genkai.

Dami seemed to be outsmarting the black blood. Ikari had to move his fingers, even if just a little. The entire time, he smiled. As Dami got closer and closer to Ikari, finally going in for a strike, Ikari simply shut his eyes. "Blood Spike." All around him, a volley of black blood spiked up, spearing Dami through the foot and causing him to crash to the floor. Ikari threw his head back, laughing. "You should really watch where you step! Just because my wrist is dripping blood doesn't mean I can't control it."

Dami, however, continued the assault from the ground, swiping under Ikari's feet. This seemed to catch him off guard, but he caught himself before he hit the ground entirely, doing a somersault and skipping back up, turning to face Dami, who had a well-aimed kick centered around his head. He raised his arm just in time and a swarm of blood burst from his skin, ripping open his self-created wound further, stopping the kick in its path. Dami struggled to move his leg, stuck in suspension. "This is much better," Ikari said and tendrils of black began to creep up Dami's leg. It was a fast creep, reaching his midsection, then his chest, then his neck, "Come on, give up! Say you give up!" It stopped just before his eyes and nose. "Oh, how awful of me. You're mute. Anyways, I'm sure you don't want this stuff tearing you apart from the inside, right? Nod if you give up."

Dami nodded viciously and Ikari raised his hand in the air. Any blood outside of his body, whether on the ground or in the air, flew back into his wrist. Dami fell to the ground, scrambling away from Ikari. "I told you, didn't I?" He leaned over, shoving his hands in his pockets, but the fabric was stained black quickly despite his smile. "I told you that I was going to make it quick. Where's my win?"

The announcer was astounded by Ikari's behavior, as was everyone else in the room. He hadn't been nearly as ruthless as Rena at the end, but more during the battle itself with his sadistic mocking. "Uh… Ikarinochi Hikari wins."

"It's Ikari, I'm telling you. Jeez. Ikari. Is it that hard to remember?" He offered a hand to Dami. "Let's get you back up to the second floor." Dami, although cautious, took his hand and was helped back to the balcony he had been on originally, leaving Ikarinochi Hikari to return to the side of the party he had come with. He was pulled away by Sansa, who snatched him up before he could even reach his destination. She dragged him to a side room.

"Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Ikari."

"No, you said you're a Hikari. You displayed abilities only known to them. You have black blood."

"Oh, yeah. Are you one too?"

"Only in name, but that's not important. You can't be a Hikari."

"But I am."

"No, you aren't!" Sansa snapped, slamming her arm into the boy's throat and pinning him against the wall. He only laughed, chokingly, recovering from the pain rather fast. "You can't be, because-"

"Because they're all dead?"

Sansa's eyes widened. No normal person would have access to any of this information. Then again, he did claim to be of the Hikari name. "How do you know that?"

"I know that because my grandparents were marked for death. They preferred the term 'exiles' but in that case, they ran away to have their kids in private, hidden away from the 'monsters' who wanted to kill them. I've heard all the stories."

"That means… that they… because of your black blood…"

"That's right. I'm exactly what you think I am."

"Stay away from my daughter." Sansa hissed, "Your kind is the worst of the bloodline. You're lucky I don't send you to where the rest of the Hikari are."

"Is she really your daughter, though?" Sansa paused. The look on her face shifted from confrontational to nightmare-inducing.

"I'm not afraid to kill you, you know." Ikari trembled; her face was like a ghost of the past, ruthless and genocidal all the same. "Nobody would care if a headbandless genin's deformed body was found in the Forest of Death. You wouldn't be identified. So I suggest you start thinking real hard about your future, kiddo." She let him go, causing him to drop to the floor, coughing and sputtering. "Take a few minutes. Think over my offer. I hope I don't see you around after the Prelims. You should probably opt-out. Tell 'em you were scared or something."

Ikari glared at her, wordlessly, getting up off the floor and stalking back the way they came. Sansa lit up a cigarette, taking a few puffs. It was a few minutes of relaxing but interrupted by a sudden presence. "Sansa Hikari, Devil Tactician of the Sandi? Please come with me. The Hokage would like to speak to you."

She turned to him, letting out a drawn-out sigh. "Yeah, yeah, figured this would happen. Lead the way."

X

"The next match will now begin." While Ikari and Sansa were having their discussions in the side room, the rest turned their attention to the board. Gaara had been leaning against the wall, but now he was next to Rena yet again. There was an outburst about not being able to fight or something from a guy with a weird haircut that Rena was watching. Kana, on the other hand, covered her ears with her hands.

Su was contemplating pulling his feet out from under him, if only to stop the insufferable noise coming out of the boy's mouth. However, all was silent before the next fight was about to begin, knowing that it could very well be one of theirs. Seeing everything that's happened so far only discouraged most, but not Rock Lee.

"Gaara of the Sand, VS Rock Lee."

Rena's eyes widened, her surprise showing on her face. Her head whipped around to Gaara, who was already disintegrating into sand. Rena ran up to where he had been, grabbing the railing, watching as he became solid again on the floor below. The fight that she watched progressed rapidly, blows being traded, but in all that time, Lee barely hit Gaara. It was amazing to see the difference between his and her ability; she, at best, was awful at fighting compared to either of them, but most of all, Gaara.

Each blow left her mesmerized, the way his sand moved capturing her whole, undivided attention. At some point, Ikari had come up beside her, returning from wherever he had been taken to by Sansa. He opened his mouth to speak, but the fact she didn't notice him there and the look in her eyes caused him to trace their movements to Gaara. He frowned, remaining silent. It didn't seem like the type of stupor he could interrupt.

Suddenly, Lee's speed shot through the roof. Faster than any of the opponents had been before. He dashed in and blitzed out, his speed blinding, almost impossible to keep up with as even Gaara's sand was struggling. Rena had almost lost faith for a second, but at that moment, Gaara wasn't thinking of anything other than the battle he was in. He repeated I will not die in his head over and over again.

Rena, however, had her entire perspective change when Gaara wrecked Lee's limbs. She gripped the railing until her knuckles went white, feeling the same terror she did before. More sand crept across the floor, something out of anyone's worst nightmares, most likely meant to suffocate and end Lee's life. Gaara had no respect for his opponent. It was scary how he took a life without a second thought. The people in the forest… the guy who attacked them and now Lee. However, someone finally interfered- a man who seemed to be his father, with the same hair and suit.

Gaara, on the other hand, was having a hard time comprehending why Gai would defend Lee. "But why…? He failed!" He snapped, clutching his head, his nails digging into his scalp. A headache ran through his mind as annoying memories washed over him. "Why save him…?"

"Because he's my student, and also because he is precious to me." Baki sneered, thinking that the red-haired boy wouldn't be able to understand such sentiments. Rena, on the other hand, was somewhat touched- of course, that made sense to her. The face that Gaara made, however, made her feel like her heart was breaking all over again.

"He's precious to him? A student?" The surprise in Temari's voice caused Rena to turn back to her, eyes wide. What did she mean? Weren't you supposed to cherish the people around you with all you had? Just what was the current state of the Hidden Sand?

_**Again.**_

She grabbed her arms; they felt searing hot like her blood was boiling.

_Do it again, but this time, don't be so **pathetic.**_

She backed away from the rail, resting her back against the wall.

_If you're this pathetic, what's the point? Do you think you're** worth** anything? You're just another **pawn.**_

Her breathing was unsteady. Why were these voices so loud? Sinking to the floor and sitting down, she closed her eyes, trying to block them out.

_So be a good pawn and maybe you won't be a corpse by tomorrow._

Gaara stood, no signs of a struggle. He began to walk away, ignoring Gai and Lee. "I quit."

"The winner is… huh?"

Everyone in the room watched as Lee took a fighting stance, prepared for battle despite his ridiculous injuries. "No, Lee," Gai exclaimed, "It's alright, it's all over now. Anyways, you're in no condition to-" His voice cut off and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as he stared, dejectedly, at the face of his pupil. "Lee... Oh, Lee… what have I done?" Gai's shoulders shook, once, twice, as he began to sob. Tears dripped down the grown shinobi's face, his expression mixed with agony and hurt. "Look at you. Not even conscious, and still determined to show the world what you can do."

**Ha… you…. Like them…**

Rena twitched, her head whipping away from the scene. She swore someone had just whispered something in her ear, so much so that the words echoed through her mind. It was such a broken message that she couldn't even understand what it meant. She turned to Su, who had progressively gotten closer to her. "Su, did you say something to me?"

The girl shook her head, frowning.

"That's… strange." Rena turned back to watch the exchange below, but Su was concerned. Her fingers twitched. Nobody was saying anything. Was… Rena like her?

"Lee, you've already proven it." Taking his student into his gentle embrace, Gai held him close to his chest. The boy's eyes came to a close, his subconscious fading and there was no doubt he wouldn't be standing again. "You're a splendid ninja."

"The winner is Gaara." The results were obvious. The expression on his face, however, was different than the one she recognized. The way he looked at the two, she almost thought he was nearly envious… full of hate and disgust at the scene, but behind all of that, was it the boy she loved crying for help? Crying for affection?

"Hah, I knew he couldn't beat Gaara." Temari grinned, her head raising a fraction in the air. Nobody else in this room mattered other than the shinobi from her village and her newfound allies. Still, it troubled her- Su was a loose end. What on earth would they do with her? Would Tsukiyomi be all right in that scroll?

Gaara began to walk forward. Kankuro stood on the other side, having observed the battle from another vantage point while he was asking his questions. On the other hand, the upstart with blonde hair vaulted over the metal bar, not caring what anyone else thought or said as he ran past Gaara, their eyes momentarily passing over one another as he ran for Lee. Gaara turned, watching him go.

As Gaara walked back up the stairs, Rena walked over to meet him. She stood at the top, an expression on her face that reminded him of the one she made when she was alone… or when she thought nobody was watching. "Gaara… what happened to you while I was gone?"

This subject again. He ignored her entirely, walking past her until her hand shot out to grab his. His sand rushed to his protection, which caused him to stop. Rena's hand snapped back as she gripped her wrist. They stared at one another, before Rena's expression turned worse, tears dripping from her eyes. "All I wanted… was to help you, Gaara." She dashed towards the exit, to the general area of the bathrooms, wishing to be anywhere but there in that moment. He took a step in her direction, his hands trembling. Why did his sand rush to his aid then, but not before? What was the difference?

Sansa stood in front of the Hokage, at attention. "I'd like to know about the sudden abilities she displayed and the behavior changes." She almost rolled his eyes at his bluntness, but of course, the ANBU had their eyes on everything. The Hidden Leaf was the worst place to expose any of the machinations from the past. His face was hardened by battle; at this moment, he was not the Hokage that the Leaf knew, but the Hokage war knew.

"Lord Hokage, I'm afraid that my daughter has had a troublesome life. Her father was a unique individual; I didn't know him. She disappeared a few years ago and only recently returned; it's implied that her disappearance was not consenting. I will spend time looking into this; if you feel the need to bar her from the exams, please do. I don't want anything damaging the Hidden Sand's relationship with the Leaf like this."

The Hokage raised his hand, silencing the Sand Jonin. "I do not think that will be necessary. Go back to the exams, but make sure that nothing like that happens while on the soil of the Leaf."

"Understood. Thank you, Lord Hokage." Sansa bowed, before retreating from the room. The Hokage turned, sighing, his eyes narrowing.

"Ibiki." Emerging from the shadows, the first proctor came to stand beside the Hokage. "Search our archives. Find anything and everything you can on the Hikari Clan. Those warmongers were supposed to have been destroyed at least sixty years ago and their place in history lost, but I feel that we may be dealing with a special case. One is nothing to look at, but two in the same place?" Ibiki nodded. The Hokage's usual demeanor was gone. There was no time for smiles if that was the child who he assumed her to be. "As for the Yoru, be sure to study them as well. There's been an ongoing agreement… they're closed off from the world, not allowed to participate. It seems like they're violating that contract for a reason." He couldn't rip the child from the Sand, because that would injure the treaty between the Sand and the Leaf, possibly causing another war.

That could not happen.

Everything that had happened in the previous fight with Gaara and Lee left the contestants in a mild shock. Of course, they had seen someone die, but this was… a different kind of cruelty. The conclusion to it, Lee trying to fight unconscious, everyone was both inspired and terrified.


	11. 11 - You Have Eyes For A Reason, Right?

The announcer, however, definitely knew the show must go on. It seemed like nothing could stop the exams. It was strange, however, that the teams were up against one another… "Tsukiyomi Akagari and Eiji Yoru." Su could hear the tremor in his voice and the sound of a hand slapping against metal, shoes scraping against the ground below. She waited for the other to join them, for the person who was supposed to fight to show up, but they were taking quite a while.

She flinched as the sound of a snap resounded in her left ear. "Hey, Tsukiyomi, what are you waiting for?" Suno nudged Su. She'd become familiar to his voice since he talked so much. The white-haired Genin rubbed her ear, giving him a frown.

"Sorry, I was distracted…" It was true, she'd forgotten in all of the excitement. All she could do was listen, and listen she had, to the point where she'd tuned out everything and everyone else. They were all too noisy… that Lee person had been put out of commission, making the arena a much more pleasurable place.

She easily hoisted herself over the railing, landing before her opponent softly- softer than he had. She hadn't been overly concerned about the threat of grievous bodily harm but now she was a little on the edge and wary of her opponent after listening to the fight and the brutality Gaara had shown against Lee. Out of respect, she bowed to her opponent right before the announcer gave the go-ahead to begin the fight.

She was barely able to react as Eiji launched forward a fraction of a second after the starting sound. She deftly turned her head to the side, her body arching with her movement pattern as she bounced out of his path. How intriguing; he wasn't like the other Yoru. There was no boasting, no introductions. Her fingertips pressed to the ground before she did from her crouched position.

Eiji, though he hadn't landed a hit, refused to slow his movements. He performed a few hand signs, pressing his own hands to the arena floor as well as his voice resounded, clear as a bell to Su. "Earth Release: Stone Bracers." Su made a note to herself not to get hit as she pulled a kunai from her sash, holding it in a backhand grip. The effect was moderately creepy, seemingly soulless black eyes locked onto the boy she was fighting with. Her head tilted and anyone would think she was analyzing her opponent. There hadn't been enough blows exchanged for her to size him up, though.

She remained on the defensive, grimacing as she was forced to block a heavy kick that sent her skidding back a few feet. Her fingers twitched, eyebrows drew together, her displeasure prominent on her face as the blows continued to rain down and she was left just enough wiggle room to avoid the majority of the hits narrowly despite the weight he put behind them.

She took a heavy blow to the chest, having twisted her body to avoid him hitting to the left of her lower abdomen, even if she did have a band of protective material there. She wasn't willing to risk damage to that area, so she'd take the hit. The reverberations from his blows, however, led her to stumble against the far wall, a look of panic flickering across her face. She could hear Suno's voice filled her ears, annoyingly enough. "Hey! You can do it! Don't let that Yoru boss you around!"

She pressed her left hand back against the cold wall, breathing a little harder. Her kunai laid across the floor where he had knocked it from her grasp. She shook out her free hand, tensing up as his footing shifted. Both of her hands twitched.

Eiji smirked, flexing his fingers. "I expected more looking at you, but I guess it can't be helped that you're useless." He was confident, arrogantly so. Underestimating her capabilities truly marked the differences between them, especially since he was judging by eyes along. If only he paid more attention.

She pushed off of the wall, sprinting at him. His smirk only grew as he saw it as a futile resistance; he sprinted to meet her, her reckless charge giving him more confidence. His fist drew back, snapping forward in a direct collision course with the side of her head… but she dropped, sliding in between his legs.

Anyone paying attention to the fight would see two of her fingers touching the sides of the soles of his shoes as she moved through, but so light and quick it could've just been attributed to the positioning between them. Whatever it had been, however, it didn't seem like Eiji noticed as he moved to turn and follow after her, his rotation went too far and he ended up clumsily tripping over his own feet.

There was a grunt of surprise as Su retrieved her Kunai, looking at him as he stood. His anger was palpable as she began to taunt him. "I expected more… looking at you?" She tapped her cheek with the fingers on her other hand, before beckoning him forward, to which he responded by pushing himself up brusquely.

The fingers of her right hand twitched again, minutely, only noticeable if someone had been paying attention. Perhaps someone would've caught a pattern by now. Her mannerisms seemed to all be methodical and planned, her supposed clumsiness at the start of the fight coming into question via Neji…

Still, Eiji was getting annoyed. She was dragging the fight out. He laughed, cracking his knuckles. "Are you going to do anything besides run? Or is that all you know?" Her response was to whip the kunai in her hand at his face, although he blocked it with his earth-clad arm. It stuck with a dull thud and Su backed up quickly, her eyes widening at the strength of his bracers.

He grinned, unrelenting, as he followed her retreat with a rush that held all the confidence of a finishing blow. He was so sure of himself, his slip-ups not affecting his attack. Su seemed to be panicking, throwing her arms up in an attempt to block the attack, but it never hit, his fist stopping an inch before she upheld hands.

"W...what…?" Eiji attempted to pull back his hand but found it stuck, suspended in midair- held there by some invisible something. Su peeked over her hands, a toying smile playing across her face.

"You think I'd lose to you…?" She raised her left hand, upwards slightly, flipping it over and pulling it back down to the ground as she yanked the boy off of the ground. "You hit hard, but I don't think you noticed you weren't hitting as hard as you thought you were…" She smiled as he started thrashing, but every explosive and angry movement came out as muted, only entangling him in her trap even further. Finally, she curled up the fingers of her right hand and a mass of thin and nearly invisible threads began to thicken and appear as they layered on top of each other. They glinted, pulling taut. She tsk'd, restricting his movements further, pulling closed the loops and snares he'd inadvertently tangled himself in throughout their dance of dodging and blocks.

She had him suspended between the floor and the roof, his arms bound to his chest. "It's over."

He couldn't move even an inch as she stepped away, her head looking in another direction… away from the announcer. The room was a bit… awkwardly silent. "Tsukiyomi Akagari… wins." Su nodded to herself, reassuringly, as she walked away.

Oh, she almost forgot. She raised her hands, the threads all going slack as Eiji slammed into the ground. "Before you judge your opponent… look closer next time. That's what you have eyes for, yes?"

The way back to the Hidden Leaf was an awkward ordeal. Rena was staying away from Gaara. Every time he attempted to get closer to her, somehow she escaped his grasp. It was beginning to irritate him that she would rather talk to Kankuro than him, but what was worse was that she was speaking to that boy named Ikari. The one who shared her last name. He was too friendly with her, although he remained an arm's length away.

His eyes narrowed as he picked up the pace, trying to get in between the two. It seemed that Rena broke away from Ikari and suddenly ran ahead, finding something else interesting. Was she doing this purposely? He'd punish her viciously.

Then, along with the already added insult to injury, she began conversing with a member of the Hidden Leaf. Didn't she know their mission? Or had she been unknowingly following them around the whole time, thinking that there was some chance she'd become a chuunin from all of this? Laughable. She could barely defend herself in his eyes. She needed him, his protection.

As she began to stray from the group, lagging behind due to how late it was getting, Gaara saw his chance. Bursting forward, he grabbed her, slapping a hand over her mouth and dragging her into the bushes. Kankuro turned around, excited to invite Rena to the little get-together Sansa and Baki had arranged for the group. "Huh?" He looked around. For the most part, the group was solemn. The missing shinobi were injured or dead, transported to the hospital right away. The one remaining Yoru Genin and her jonin were some ways away from the group, while most of the more rambunctious winners from the leaf were cheering and whooping, celebrating. He couldn't find her among them. Maybe she got tired of all the noise and left? Gaara was gone, too…

Rena struggled against the grasp of her kidnapper, anything to be free. Not now, not like this. She had reached out to the group, begging for anyone to turn around and help her. Still, they walked, even as she was overpowered and dragged into the woods.

Let me go! Let me go! Stop, no! I have to get back to Gaara…!

Tears streamed down her face at the painful memories that she kept locked within her. She began to sob, only for her to be released as she collapsed to the floor and fell into nothing more than a begging mess. "Please! Please don't take me from Gaara again! He needs me. He needs me! Please… anything is fine… take all of my organs if you need to, cut me open again, just let me stay! Let me stay with him!" Her shaking shoulders were all that he could see. Her hair was viciously messy, but she made no move to try and pick it up and hold it above the dirt. Her hands covered her eyes, her cries of emotional agony heard only by him. He began to realize, that, perhaps, nothing was as it seemed. She crawled away from him, settling in the crook of a tree, curling up and sobbing.

He took a step toward her, raising his hand. Everything in him was telling him to stop, to stay away, that she abandoned him, but this… this wasn't abandonment. It didn't sound like a choice. He wanted to reach out, touch her, embrace her. Perhaps the world didn't need to be as it was, so infinitely lonely. Perhaps, even though the rest of the world abandoned him, he'd been pushing away the only person that didn't.

The clouds above parted. The sun had set and the moon had taken its place. Light shined on the clearing, but Gaara flipped his palms upward, sand bursting from the ground and taking shape and form of a dome. They were basked in absolute darkness, neither speaking, the only sound her sobs. "Do you fear me?"

There was nothing but silence for a moment. "G-Gaara…?"

"Is that why you've been avoiding me? Do you fear me?"

She stopped. She was quiet. He didn't like the answer he was getting. "Yes… I fear you." His heart fell. Perhaps he had been wrong. He rose his hand. In the end, getting rid of her was all he could do. Love for others wasn't him. "I fear that you're going to leave me behind." He took pause, eyes widening. "I'm so scared that one day, I'm going to wake up and I won't see your face. I'll just be trapped in some compound, nothing but four dirt walls, I fear that someday I might never see you again. I fear that you're so far away that I can't reach you, that every step I take to understanding you, you take a step back. I'm scared I'll never be as strong as you or as smart as you, or that someday I might lose you. That someday you might die and I'll never see you again."

Foolish girl. He would never die. Of course, he was stronger than her. All of these fears… everything. "You're an idiot."

"Huh?"

"You belong to me. You said so yourself. Do you think I'd let you leave me that easily? Anyone who desires to take you from me will die. I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth if need be. You are mine, my object, mine to decide what to do with." He walked toward her, crouching down in front of her, their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, Staring directly at each other, they got closer.

Gaara reignited the fire. It was no longer just a fever, meant to be shaken off- it was all-consuming, devouring everything around them. It enveloped them both, the heat almost unbearable as he kissed her, his emotions rising. He was once again embraced by something other than darkness and even though the world around them was black, he could feel color within him.

Rena, hesitatingly raising her hand to cup his cheek as she pulled away, felt his hand on her wrist. More gentle than it ever had been before. He still leaned in for more, much to her surprise, reluctant to pull away from her lips. "I think that perhaps… for the first time in a long time…" He began, but a jolt ran through him. He couldn't say those words. Even if it meant hurting Rena, to say those words in a world where there was nothing but darkness and loneliness, he'd have to give up everything he believed in. "Maybe I don't want to kill you just yet." He said, his hand sliding from her wrist. Rena realized that perhaps he would have said something more, but the walls he had created for himself were still standing strong. She knew cracks were forming in the defense that surrounded his heart and that if she just kept trying, perhaps the boy she loved was truly in there.

"Gaara…" Rena said, her head shifting as she glanced around his room. There was nothing in it, not even a tatami. Gaara sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, closing his eyes. "There's nothing in here."

"I don't need anything." He stared blankly. "I don't sleep most of the time."

There was no door for his closet and a few wooden floorboards were missing as if they had been pried from the rest. All that was there was a rug, one that was positioned against the wall- the one he sat on. "But surely sleep in a bed would be more comfortable?"

"Are you offering yours?" Rena's silence made him open his eyes. "If I need sleep, I'll use your bed." He watched, amused, as she flushed red. She was surprisingly easy to instill a fever in; he didn't understand why, though. It seemed like this happened whenever they got close to one another.

"But, Gaara…"

His face darkened as he glared at her. "You told me your life was yours to do with as I please. I can take it at any time." He stood to his feet, crossing his arms, his telltale glare freezing her to her spot. "You have no say in what I take from you. You gave yourself to me, so you are mine. You are my possession, so don't think you're in any position to refuse me." And if anyone else dared touch what belonged to him, their death would be slow and painful.

"Yes, Gaara."

He walked past her, out of his room, only for her to follow. She shut his door behind her as they walked over to hers. As they moved into her room, he spoke again. "You wouldn't let me sleep on the floor. I told you, your care makes you easily manipulated- weak."

"If letting you sleep in my bed makes me weak, so be it. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." She walked up to the bed, sitting on the covers as she patted down where she wanted him to sit. He stared at her, his face hard and unreadable as always, but proceeded to walk over to it and sit beside her.

"Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger?" He asked, his eyes moving to perceive her.

"Gaara, there is no point in being strong if I end up forgetting why I'm doing it." Rena shook her head, frowning at him. She figured he'd at least understand that much, if not anything else. "If I forget my purpose- you- then why strive to be stronger? Why would I feel the need to? It doesn't make very much sense to continue down this path without you."

Gaara shook his head, making a sound of discontent and annoyance. She shouldn't be thinking of him, nor should he be her reason- her reason should be herself, not anyone else. He would never get stronger with thoughts of her in mind. But she, she should be thinking of herself and getting stronger for herself. He'd be unable to comprehend her reasoning regardless.

"Gaara, the thought of you gives me the strength I need to continue living. I'm sure as hell not selfless, in fact, I'm probably the exact opposite, but… there's one person I'd do anything for." She admitted, her face flushing… but instead of red, in this light, it was purple. That's right… her blood had changed. Her skin was the same on the outside, but that kind of concentration in one place… "Compared to you, nobody else matters. When you're here, everyone else is irrelevant. When you're in pain, I feel like I'm suffering so much I'd rather die than see you hurt, or even take all of your pain and bear it myself. When you want something, I'd tear apart the world to give it to you."

His suffering connected directly to hers? How was that possible? How could anyone see the pain within him and tell him, to his face, that they'd rather bear it themselves? Foolish. She was a fool, nothing more, nothing less. A weak and trembling object. Something to be guarded rather than let loose.

"My wish was heard, you know." This time he turned his head to her, making sure to look directly at her. He wasn't sure what she was going on about now. "My wish… someone heard my wish and helped me escape my cell. I heard someone else crying for freedom and freed them, too. I wonder where she is… but I suppose that's all meaningless now. Then, my second wish was heard. On the way back to the Hidden Sand, I came across a hidden clearing with a broken-down cottage… it was close to the border, you know." Now, this interested him. His attention was captivated by her voice and her expressions. "In there… I found what looked like perfectly preserved dead bodies. They weren't breathing or anything, just… sleeping, eternally." She shook her head. "I met someone there. He had red hair, just like you. He was the only living person there and I didn't know where else to go because I didn't have any directions." She stood from the bed, moving over to the window and opening it. The night breeze blew over her, causing her hair to slightly blow in the breeze. "He was kind. He said he remembered me and expected me to return someday. I told him that I didn't know him and he told me that I would in a while. I spent a while with him and he taught me how to wake the bodies up. Those bodies were Suno and Tsukiyomi."

His eyes widened. They were… corpses? "Who was it that you met in that cottage?" She flinched, but he could feel something rising. Whoever it was… he wanted them dead. He felt some sense of danger, some sense of… not wanting her to return.

"You can't tell Sansa or Baki about this, Gaara. You can't tell anybody! Tsukiyomi and Suno would be taken apart and examined, or something!"

"Who was it that you met in that cottage?" He repeated.

"I.. can't tell you. He told me that if I told anyone, he'd take Tsukiyomi and Suno away. He also says that he's going to ask me for payment later… that I promised him something special before and I just forgot."

"Tell me his name!" Gaara snapped, standing up. It was clear he was upset about her keeping information from him. "If you don't… I'll make you."

"I'm sorry! I can't!"

She was still keeping information from him. Still! All of these secrets… all of these things he didn't know, he wanted to, damn it! "I can't trust you." He turned away from her, disgusted. "Everything… and yet you still… keep these things from me." He began walking out of the room. She reached out to him, but he seemed to get further as she did. "I don't need your bed. I don't need you. I don't care if I'm your reason for living…" He turned his head back to her, eyes narrowing. "Just die."

The door slammed, leaving her in absolute darkness. She simply stared into it as she felt her sanity slip.

**X**

* * *

**X**

**1:00 PM, **_3 Days Later_

**[1 Month Until** _Chuunin Exam __Finals_**]**

_The Dancing Leaf Inn, Sansa and Baki's Room_

**Gaara and Rena's Relationship Level**: 0% **[Used to be 50%]**

**X**

* * *

**X**

It had been a rather quiet few days. Gaara had avoided Rena, wherever she went. Even if she tried to approach him, it was as if he was pretending he didn't know her. He acted like she wasn't there and tried to disappear whenever she was around. Their relationship was in an even worse state than when she first tried to fix it. It was like that night had destroyed everything she built.

"You win again, damn it!" Kankuro snapped, almost flipping the entire chessboard, but Temari was there to stop him. Today was a day of mental training and Sansa had commanded each of them to either observe or participate, including Gaara himself. They were on either side of the room, as far away from each other as possible.

Every black piece remained on the board, the white ones completely captured. No wonder Kankuro had a problem with his loss. "I've been playing this game for a long time, Kankuro. You can't beat me with a few hours of experience." Temari pressed Kankuro into the ground, causing him to struggle.

"Let… go… Temari! I may not be able to beat her at chess but I sure as hell can beat her ass!" He struggled against his sister's strong grip but failed miserably. Even though he was buff, he wasn't as buff as Temari.

"Are you kidding?! Do you think, as a Genin, we could match the Devil Tactician of the Sand in anything!?" She snapped. "You're crazy, crazy, Kankuro!"

"I DON'T CARE! I'LL DESTROY HER! I WILL, I SWEAR!"

Sansa threw back her head, letting out a loud, bellowing laugh. "Ha! Kid, if ya think you can defeat me, live a few hundred more years or something!"

"You're only thirty!" Kankuro screeched.

"And?! You'd need two hundred years to get a leg up on me!" Their bickering continued with Kankuro throwing a similar amount of threats and insults until Baki smacked the back of his head.

"Shut up, will you?" In the end, Kankuro would never beat Sansa… she was the leader of the Hidden Sand's ANBU. Baki was fairly sure he would be unable to beat her. Most Jonin would be around their Genin, but the Genin of the Sand was ordered to act on their own while the Jonin surveyed all exits and examined the Hidden Leaf and their forces for the destruction of the Leaf. They had mostly completed their duties thanks to Sansa's direction and earlier than they thought they would.

"Rena. Let's see if your mind has grown any since your last match." Rena hadn't been paying attention until her name was mentioned, to which her head snapped up, eyes wide as if she had been caught in spotlights. "Come on, you don't refuse a challenge." Sansa's eyes narrowed and it felt like the very air in the room had changed, causing Kankuro to stop struggling as he watched Rena walk up to the table. "And if you do back down, you're a failure." Sansa flipped open a paper fan on the table and began to fan herself, placing one of the soles of her feet on the edge of the table as she leaned her chair back, balancing it on two legs.

Rena sat down, rearranging the chessboard to the best of her memory. "Fine." She muttered, looking away from her mother. She wasn't really in the mood for any of this. "Just one match."

"I'm going to win, so it's pointless. Courtesy first moves to you." She gestured to the board. Rena moved one of her pawns forward and Sansa looked at her in distaste. "This is going to go exactly like how the Wall Run did."

"What?" Rena glared at her. If only looks could kill.

"You'll give up before you even get halfway to the goal." Sansa's eyes were now entirely sadistic as if she were looking down on the poor girl as she moved her piece. "The girl I raised wasn't as pathetic as to stay down. She would have gotten right back up and tried again."

"The rules are-"

"Something you never listened to, so why are they of any concern to you now?" Rena made another move and Sansa had matched hers in a flash. "Bullshit doesn't work on me. You should know this."

"Aren't you supposed to tell me to follow the rules?" Another move.

Sansa looked away from the chessboard, her eyes half-lidded as if she was bored. "It's whatever, honestly." Damn it! That response annoyed her so much! Still, the woman moved her next piece. "But I believe I once told you that you can do nothing simply by standing still and waiting for your fate."

"And?! What's it to you?"

"You're going to die if you fight Kana," Sansa said, sighing. Another move again. There it was- the feeling she had been coming across recently. Disappointment. Why was it that whenever she thought she could do something, others didn't? "This board is a battlefield, yet you can't even take that seriously. Your mind… your heart… They're distracted. Weighed down. Discard whatever is chaining you, Rena."

Sansa's next move took two of her pieces. Rena's hands curled into fists. "There's nothing similar to battle on this board."

"Then you're ignorant, and it makes sense you're going to fail to become a Chuunin."

Rena stood, flames in her eyes. "Who says?! Huh? You? The Hidden Sand? The Hidden Leaf? Tell me! I'll prove you wrong, damn it!"

"It's not me who dictates whether you fail or succeed, Rena." Sansa shook her head, sighing, resting her chin on her knee. "It's you, and you're not ready."

"That's what you think."

"That's what I know. You're the weakest one here, aren't you?"

"What… what's that supposed to mean?"

"No proper training… you're not in shape, you lack the common sense and knowledge of the shinobi world." Sansa moved to stand up. "In the end, you're… just someone who gives up when you're halfway to the goal. Forfeit the exam."

"I can't!" Rena snapped as she walked out of the room, Sansa almost laughed, but she supposed it would be inappropriate for the situation. She didn't like that Gaara had slipped out, as well. As she moved to clean up the pieces, she realized that one of her chess sets had been taken. The one made of sand-glass.

"Should I go after her?"

"No, Kankuro," Sansa shook her head. "There are some hard lessons in life that girl has to learn, and sugarcoating things will do nothing other than speed along with her death. I do this out of love. She needs a wakeup call."

Rena had retreated to the roof, somewhere where she could be alone without having to worry about Sansa's constant poking and prodding. She had forgotten how much her mother expected of her; she understood her reasons, but in the end, she didn't have to be that mean about it, did she?

Sighing, she laid back, looking up at the sky. The last time she'd been up here… It'd been with Gaara. Before the Chuunin Exams. Before Tsukiyomi got hurt, back before they met Su… and before Ikari had started visiting their hotel every day. Sansa and Baki had been annoyed by him at first, but after he started paying for all of their meals they relaxed a little. Speaking of Tsukiyomi, although Kankuro was almost exploding from having to keep such a big secret about Su being from another village entirely and not even the shinobi they pretended she was, he had been held back from telling the truth by Temari. They were already too far into the lie to stop now, but Temari had assured Rena that Su would be going back to her village and that the lie would stop post-exams.

She shot up, hearing a noise- one that she didn't expect. Gaara was laying down a glass chessboard on the flatter part of the roof, the pieces clinking together as he set it up. She looked at him, puzzled as to why, but he continued silently working as he sat down on the other side of it silently… and waited.

"If I win this match, you die if you bother me again. If you win, we continue as we have been… No, we add extra terms to what we have."

"What…?" Could it be that Gaara wanted her to win? Why this? Why now?

"Don't ask questions. Just play."


	12. 12 - Gaara VS Rena, Darkness Returns

She nodded, crawling over to the board and sitting down. "Who has first move?"

"I do."

The chess match began, with Gaara having the advantage. Each move, no matter how big or small, ended with Gaara catching her pieces. His black stained-glass sandglass pieces were pretty much the only ones left on the board, with her only having three pieces left. Rena sighed. "I'm sorry, Gaara. I'm not good at this game. I'm not good at anything. I want to tell you, I wanted to tell you, but I… can't. If it was just up to me, I would. I'd tell you anything else you wanted to know, anything at all, but this is the one thing I can't."

"..." Another turn passed. She was down to two pieces.

"If it is the end, then I guess I didn't do more than enough. I wish I could have done more, or been better for you. If I can't be with you… It'd be too painful to stay. I'll leave the Hidden Sand after the Chuunin Exams."

Another turn… but this time, she had captured two of his. Suddenly, Gaara wasn't playing nearly as well. It turned into a rather fast comeback as suddenly he made mistakes that allowed her to overtake most of the board with only two pieces remaining. His pawns and his bishops fell, as did hers. In the end, only Gaara's King remained, facing her Queen. He looked away from the board as she moved her Queen, capturing the King and finally winning the game. "Gaara!" She exclaimed, happily, as she jumped up, bouncing around. "I did it! I did it, we can remain as we are!" She stopped as some of the pieces rolled off of the roof, into the bushes down below. "Aaargh! Sansa loves this chess set! She'll beat the hell out of me if I lose even a single piece, she's had it ever since I was born!" Rena dived off of the roof, into the bushes, to retrieve the lost sandglass pieces.

Gaara picked up Rena's queen, a clear sandglass piece. He examined it, turning it around in his hand. It was one of the most gorgeous pieces of glass there was; it was made solely for furniture and design choices. It reminded him of the way he controlled his sand; it was like the specks in the middle of the glass were placed there by a master artisan, creating the illusion of flowing sand whenever the piece moved. There were few in the Hidden Sand that could craft such pieces, and they weren't available anywhere else. He remembered that his uncle had an affinity for the glass… it would have been enough to sour his mood, had Rena not slapped her hand onto the roof and pulled herself up at that very moment. "Whew… I saved the sandglass!"

He stood up, walking over to her. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that we're going to remain the same. I told you, we're going to improve what we already have."

"Improve?" She asked dumbly, cocking her head to the side.

"I want you to be mine." It suddenly felt like Gaara was towering above her and she flushed her now-signature purple. "Everything. The second I ask something of you, you give it to me. If I tell you to do something, no matter how much you don't want to, you do it."

"But, I can't-"

"You can." His face darkened. "And you will. Now, I'm not going to just walk away if you lie to me. I'm going to punish you."

"But, I-"

"As for that man you're meeting… I'll go with you."

"Huh?"

"After the Chuunin Exams, I'm going with you. I don't care. I'll find out for myself."

"But, he said…"

He gave her a glare that shut her up instantaneously. As he stepped forward, she took a step back, losing her footing as she slipped from the roof, tumbling down. Gaara was much faster than her, using his sand to [quite literally] sweep her off her feet and gently land her on the ground. She almost lost her balance again, but he was there to steady her. "It doesn't matter who says what. It doesn't matter if they're a man or a woman, you're mine." He tugged her arm, causing her to fall into him. His sash was surprisingly soft. He was hesitant, but he raised his arm, his fingers sliding through her hair, as he pressed her face into his chest. It was as much of a hug as he'd allow himself to give.

However, it seemed like there were eyes everywhere. Ikari's narrowed as his fingers tightened around the black box he was carrying, his lips pursed and eyebrows scrunched into a frown. He looked away, sighing, before looking back. "You know, at least it's him. But it won't be for long." His eyes flicked to the woman standing in the shade of the tree and watching the exchange.

"Don't you think you're being cruel?" Ikari gave a half-hearted laugh, flipping open the box to reveal a purple flower. It was unique in the fact that it looked exactly like a bleeding heart, but it was surrounded by dried bell blossoms.

Sansa stepped out from the shade, glaring directly at Gaara. "In the end… it's not about having a monster inside you or not. It's about what you make of yourself despite that monster. Gaara… Gaara had options. It's not his fault, but I can't let that monster near my little girl. And you… you never had a choice in the first place."

"The only reason anyone speaks about anyone like that is if they're the host to a tailed beast. So that's the kind of monster he is." Ikari grinned. "I might just have a chance after all. Your daughter seems to be interested in monsters."

Sansa grabbed him by the collar, raising him slightly off the ground. "For him, it might be a physical entity, but for you? It runs through your blood. He could escape it. You can't."

"By that logic, isn't your daughter a monster too?" Sansa paused, a grimace spreading across her face before she set Ikari down to take a look at Rena picking up the sandglass pieces she had dropped in her fall. Gaara was watching her, leaning against the wall. Sansa looked back to Ikari, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a difference between you and her, kuroi-chi. You're a different breed. You're born dark."

"How does an outsider know about the kuroi-chi? The way our village used to work… you'd be dead if you knew about it. The Chikage would have directed us to destroy you if you even so much as uttered a word if you knew. Even a hint."

She shoved him away, shoving her hands in her pockets. "You know nothing about the Village Hidden in the Shadows, kid. I bet you don't even know where it was." Now she was finally getting under his skin. He glared at her- if only looks could kill. "That's the difference between you and me. I created the title of kuroi-chi. You wouldn't make the cut." Before he knew it, Sansa's hand lightly tapped his shoulder. She had blinked forward so fast he hadn't even seen her. He yelped in surprise, crashing to the ground, scrambling away from her. She was gone, nowhere in sight, yet he could hear her voice in his ear. "I told you. This is your last warning. The next is your death. You're screwing with things your generation couldn't possibly understand."

Ikari looked up and Gaara and Rena stared at him as if he were insane. "It was a bug." He muttered, getting up and collecting the box he had brought for Rena. He'd have to stop this progression somehow, but it seemed like Sansa had it covered. He'd just have to trust that she'd do what's best for her child… and cut the girl off from Gaara.

"Kankuro, I want to talk to you about Rena." Sansa turned around. This time, it was simply the four of them in a room- Su & Suno were out choosing dinner. Suno kept asking her to choose the best sign, and they'd eat from whichever one she thought was the best. It was clear the boy was nervous, aggressively so as he twitched and sweated.

"I.. have I done something wrong?"

Sansa looked up, sighing. "No. I've signed the arranged marriage contract, as ordered by the Kazekage. I've sent it back to the office. Your wedding is in three months." Kankuro's eyes widened, his jaw-dropping open as Temari clapped him on the back.

"Close your mouth, little brother, you're going to catch flies." Still, it seemed as if Kankuro was stunned to the point where he could do nothing but stare, mouth gaping and eyes bulging. Temari slowly placed her hand under his chin, pushing it up and closing it for him. "This is all Kankuro has ever wanted since he was a kid. You've probably made his life."

"Kankuro. I expect that you, of all people, will treat my daughter right… and steer her on the right path." Sansa's words followed a harsh voice, but of course, she was aggressive with this. It was her child. "Do what you think is right. In three months, I will give you my daughter's hand personally. Accept responsibility. Make me seven grandchildren."

"Yes, mam!" Kankuro barked his face flushing red. Temari whacked him on the head, causing him to bolt forward and slam into the floor. "Oww… Temari, you didn't have to hit me that hard."

"You look like a horndog. Of course, I have to hit you that hard." She teased. "I'm glad Rena will become my sister, though."

"Kankuro… if you look at my future daughter that way… I'll make sure you won't be able to make grandchildren." Baki snapped, his irritance growing.

"Hey, I want grandchildren." Sansa glared at him, causing him to back down.

"G-grandchildren…" There was another lecherous look on Kankuro's face, quelled by yet another smack to the back of his head, this time by Baki. "Hey! That's super weird!" Kankuro's voice was louder now as he pointed at Baki. "You're going to be my dad! That's even weirder! My dad is gonna be Rena's dad! Ewww!"

"You moron. You've been dreaming about marrying her since you were a kid to the point where you got depression when she left." Temari shook her head. "All those years… and that didn't even cross your mind. All I can say is- moron."

"Sansa wasn't engaged to Baki back then!"

"...Moron."

"You too, Baki?!"

"I believe we should confine Gaara and Rena to their rooms in the meanwhile." The jolly conversation stopped, the room going silent. Baki knew exactly why and Temari… well, she had been wondering for a while now. Kankuro, on the other hand, remained his legendary self.

"Why?"

The three turned to look at him in disbelief. Had he not seen the glances exchanged between the two? It was as if nobody else mattered when they were in the room. The way Gaara had been looking at her while Sansa and Kankuro had been having their match, it was like none of them even existed save for Rena. That in itself was something Baki had barely ever seen before. Still, a doomed affection. The biggest surprise was that Gaara had these feelings in the first place. If they didn't separate them, Rena would surely… find her end. "Because Gaara is getting restless and Rena… is getting restless."

It was a real creative response, but Kankuro seemed to buy it. "Gaara I can understand. He's seemed really bloodthirsty lately, more than usual. Rena's been… doing all kinds of strange things." Sansa wondered what kind of strange things Rena could be doing that Kankuro of all people considered strange, but that didn't matter.

"Kankuro, tonight you will confine Gaara to his room. Temari, you'll deal with Rena."

"Do you think… that's such a good idea?" Kankuro asked, causing Sansa to glare at him and shut him up. He didn't want to be at the end of her ill will, just as he didn't want to be Gaara's next victim. Sansa sighed, just as the rest stood up.

"Let's go retrieve them."

It had come as both shock and surprise as Gaara and Rena re-entered the building only to be accosted by the group. "Rena, Gaara, you are to return to your rooms for the rest of the night."

"Sansa? What's this about?" Rena tilted her head to the side, furrowing her brows. "Ikari just came to visit. He brought snacks and everything." She gestured to the boy, who simply raised his hand to reveal a finely-crafted box that undoubtedly held sweet, delicate treasures.

"He'll have to leave." Sansa dismissed him with a wave of her hand as if he were a mere servant. How dare she treat him like this? Ikari had been sure to rest the flowers on her windowsill before he'd come in… and broke the lock on the window. He'd have his way, regardless of what Sansa wanted. She'd find it was her who would be ousted from his clan's members life, not him.

"But… Sansa!" Rena insisted, stepping forward. She had never quite been this strict… Rena didn't understand. Why had she changed? Why did she need to be so overbearing?

"Please, Rena." Sansa stepped forward, giving her child a soft smile. "I only want to protect you. Your curfew from now on is five in the afternoon. You'll accept no food, or gifts from anyone save for me, Temari, Baki or Kankuro." She enveloped Rena's hands in her own, but Rena tore away from her, backing up with a confused look in her eyes.

"I don't get it. I don't! I can take care of myself, I'm not a kid anymore!" She dashed past Sansa, running up the stairs to her room. Gaara and Ikari moved to go after her, but Sansa raised her arm, her eyes moving to them.

"I will not let my daughter be taken from me again." Her voice was low, commanding, but it held authority to it. "Kankuro, follow after her." Kankuro's head snapped up as he gulped.

"Y-yeah, Sansa!" He turned to follow her up the stairs. She waited until he was gone before she turned back to them, giving them a light, but a menacing smile that meant nothing other than disrespect.

"I won't let her make poor choices in her naive youth that will affect her future… and I refuse both of you." Ikari's glare deepened, while Gaara shifted his eyes away, standing off to the side. "You're too late anyway. I sent the letter forty minutes ago. She's now engaged, set to be wed in three months."

"What?!" Ikari snapped, finally showing something other than impartialness. "You can't… that's taking away her freedom! And it's not like I'm into her or anything, so you don't need to parade around! We're just friends!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Baki said, leaning against the sign-in desk. The clerk was hiding behind it, listening to all of the juicy deets without letting anyone know. She felt like she was in a real-life drama. Damn it! Why was that girl so lucky?!

"She was annoying anyways," Gaara muttered, walking past Sansa, who didn't stop him.

"Very well. I'm glad we have an understanding, at least. It's unbecoming of anyone to interfere in an already established wedding date. She's going to be the esteemed bride of the future Kazekage, Kankuro Suna." Gaara stopped, blood rushing to his head. He could feel the pressure inside his building. Kankuro...? His brother? His brother? Of all the people they could have put in his way… of all the people they chose to take what was his away from him… it was the most expendable. He'd take care of it. "Is there a problem, Gaara?"

"No. I'm just wondering why you're blathering on."

Rude, as always. Sansa supposed all was fine. Despite what she'd seen, she was sure it was only a passing infatuation. Gaara couldn't feel anymore and with Rena ceasing to be a distraction, things were going to go back to normal soon. She was sure Rena would fall for Kankuro… ever since that day, it was obvious that her future had already been decided for her and it would be a prosperous one indeed. Maybe she could get rid of Rena's want to be a shinobi, as well. "Good. Return to your room. Temari will escort you there."

He wordlessly ascended the stairs, Temari following closely behind. Ikari glared at Sansa before turning and walking out of the inn. Sansa turned to Baki. "I'm counting on you to find Suno and Tsukiyomi. I've got more business to deal with."

"Rena…?" Kankuro opened the door, Now was a better time than any to tell her about the proposal. He was nervous and wasn't sure how she'd take it. She was lying down on her bed, face in her pillow as he came in and sat on the bed beside her, reaching out and gently touching her back. She shot up, scrambling backward, before sighing.

"Oh. It's just you." It was clear she wasn't happy about the restrictions enforced on her. Kankuro knew that from the moment he met her, she wouldn't just be a caged bird willingly. She'd always been so free, both with her words and her actions, not caring what anyone thought but herself. With that sense of freedom, however, came a recklessness that required her to be protected.

"I want to talk to you." Kankuro undid his hood, placing it on the bed, exposing his hair. She moved forward, sitting beside him. "I've always, really, really, really tried… so hard to get your attention."

"Huh?"

"This entire time, I've been trying to get you to see me. You know, me. Getting your attention… it's been hard, that's for sure." He gave her a genuine smile, which she returned with a confused look. "I'm going to keep my confession simple this time."

"This time?"

"I love you, Rena." She paused, her eyes widening. She couldn't say anything, simply staring at Kankuro like she was caught red-handed in a spotlight. "I… confronted this feeling a long time ago. When you died… my heart turned to stone and I realized I'd never love anyone again. Then you came back… and I realized… no matter what happened between us, I'd never love anyone but you." He put his hands in his lap, twiddling his thumbs as he looked down, a shy grin on his face as it flushed.

"Kankuro…?"

His hand raised to cup her cheek and he looked at her in a way she couldn't put into words. She could do nothing but stare at him, flustered. She could barely process it as his lips pressed gently against hers, his hand stroking the back of her head softly. As he drew back, she only saw Genuity in his eyes. "I love you." He said softly, affectionately, in a way she couldn't return. "You don't need to accept me yet. I'm not going to chain you down until you love me. I just.. I was told to let you know about our arranged marriage."

"What?"

He stood up, walking over to the door. "Please don't blame Sansa, this is something I asked for. We're going to get married in three months. You're going to be the wife of the Kazekage. I'll leave you with your thoughts for now, but… I hope you can give me an earnest response." As he opened the door further, his eyes widened. He was face-to-face with his baby brother, sand flowing around him. Temari groaned on the floor, having been knocked out. He backed up, fear crossing his face- Gaara's eyes were merciless, his bloodlust almost visible in the air itself. He raised his arm and sand wrapped around Kankuro, raising him into the air as he made a fist and opened his mouth to speak…

"Gaara!" Rena's voice broke him out of his stupor and his sand dropped to the ground. Kankuro hit his head on the floor, instantly passing out from the impact. He gripped at the spot over his painfully beating heart, shaking as it panged over and over. He was remembering the way Kankuro took what was his, the one thing he considered sacred, and desecrated it. His hand whipped up, sand wrapping around Rena's throat and raising her in the air. She struggled, her limbs flailing. If it's her… if it's her! Why the hell didn't he just rid himself of this problem before it even began?! She was making him weak! It was her fault!

And this painful, painful thing inside of him… It was his mother. Telling him to kill her. Yelling at him. "You have to die!" He screamed, "She won't… stop… SCREAMING… in my head!"

As Rena clawed at the sand, she struggled to breathe. "O...okay…"

Gaara's fingers twitched as he grasped his head, releasing partially the tight grip he had on Rena's throat. "Wh...ngh, what?"

She could feel that it was loose enough for her to speak normally. "If it's for you, Gaara… I'd gladly let my life be taken from me." Despite the fact she was scared, despite that, she was trembling and even though she didn't want to die… she gave Gaara the brightest, happiest smile she could muster. Tears dripped from her eyes, sinking into his sand. "I told you before, didn't I? You're the most important thing. Life isn't worth living without you!"

"Why…?" He murmured, before sharply raising his voice. "Why aren't you fighting?! People don't do what you're doing! Normal people… normal people beg me for their lives! Normal people struggle and scream and futilely beg and then they DIE! Why won't you just DIE?!"

"Because… I don't want to hurt you, Gaara." Her tears were flowing now and he was looking directly at her, his expression that of a lost child who didn't know what to do. "If you want me to die, then I'll die. I'll still always be with you, right? Even if I'm just like everyone else to you, even if my blood is mixed with everyone else's… I might be a little jealous, so forgive me, but at least I'd always be with you!"

"...With you…" His headache was pounding and he felt like he was losing his sanity fast. "You're such a nuisance… I don't care about you! I won't ever love you! I won't be weak and I won't cease to exist! I love only myself! I fight only for myself! I will never fight for you!"

Even though it hurt, she still felt like she needed to get through to him… and if she couldn't, at least she was going to die by his hand instead of any other. Even that… if it was just that, then even that was fine. "Then… don't. But… for you, I'll live. You don't need to do the same… I'd never ask that of you."

"You're saying…" He paused, removing his hand from his head. "You'll make yourself weak voluntarily…? And I'll grow… stronger?"

"That's right, Gaara. I'll sacrifice everything of mine to protect you. I'll throw myself in front of anything to save you. And you… can just keep on living."

His hands dropped to his sides as the sand dropped her to the floor and flew back into his gourd. It was as if he hadn't lost his sanity in the first place."... Do what you want. My sand would be stained purple if I were to kill you anyway." He turned away, leaving the room as Rena scrambled over to Kankuro, checking for a pulse. She let out a breath of relief as she found that his pulse was still there.

Baki ran into the room, having returned from his task. Suno and Su came in behind him, Suno leaning over Temari's unconscious body as he picked her up. "What happened here?!"

"Gaara did. They should be fine… he only knocked them out. I think Gaara's gone… but if looks could kill, then anyone he looks at right now is going to die."

"We need to find him before he compromises the entire damned mission!" Baki snapped. Rena opened her mouth to ask, but he was already gone.

"Suno, take care of Kankuro too, okay?"

"Got it. Where are you going, Lady Rena?" He asked, his frown apparent.

"I have to find Gaara."

As Rena disappeared, back on the ledge next to her windowsill, Ikari sighed, shaking his head. "It turns out that my biggest enemy isn't the mother, but the psychopath."

**X**

* * *

**X**

_Konoha Hospital_

**4:50 PM**

**Gaara and Rena's Relationship Level:** 63% **[Was 0%]**

**Ikari and Rena's Relationship Level: [Why Would You Ever Ship This]**

**X**

* * *

**X**

"Hm, strange. There's nobody here." A pink-haired girl looked around the lobby of the Konoha Hospital, but there was nobody around. That was strange, considering it was the middle of the day and lunch had just passed. She still walked up to the ledger and scribbled in that she was visiting Rock Lee. Turning around, she shivered. It was pretty creepy when it felt so deserted… "Huh… oh well. Time to go visit Lee." She turned back in the direction of the hallway, walking in the direction of Lee's room.

A long shadow stretched across the floor, reaching over as she walked past. Turquoise orbs watched her move… until she was out of sight. She didn't interest him, but if she had his room number…

He followed the girl as she entered Rock Lee's room. She gave him a sorrowful glance as she put flowers in the empty vase on Lee's bedside table. Turning around, she left the room.

**5:00 PM**

Gaara entered the room, slowly and carefully as his sand paved the way for him, opening the door. He would kill this enemy that had been protected by the false love of others; this would be the blood he would use to quell his mother's thirst for Rena's blood. He stood over Rock Lee's comatose body, raising his hand over his chest. It lingered and he was reminded of the night he did something similar to Rena.. but this was different. His sand crept up the bed, from his feet to his legs and his body. As it got closer, reaching his neck and finally his head, he was full of endless bloodlust. The sand needed blood and it needed it now. He could still feel it calling for Rena's, but these miscreants… this escaped victim's blood would have to do.

The door swung open haphazardly with a creak as in walked Blondie, whose hostility spiked immediately when he saw what Gaara was doing. "Hey, what are you doing to bushy brows?!" Gaara paused, turning to face them, his expression blank and lacking any of the bloodlust it had before. He didn't enjoy being interrupted.

"W-Woah, were you gonna kill him…?" The guy with spiky hair stepped back a little, shocked. He could tell Gaara was dangerous and not someone either of them could face without dying.

"Get away from bushy brows!" Lacking any sense of danger, the blonde kid continued to yell at Gaara.

"When I turned six, my father tried to assassinate me more times than I can count." Gaara's eyes had that dead look to them once more. Shikamaru and Naruto were frozen to their spots, both unsure why he was telling them this."All attempts failed. The entire village hated me. I couldn't control myself. I had emotional problems, you see. My father pampered and protected me."

"Did he try to assassinate you, or did he pamper and protect you?"

"Both, as I said. Then he got my uncle to try and kill me. My best friend, my only friend, left the village. I was a failed weapon, nothing more. For a long time, I was stuck wondering what purpose I have in life. After she disappeared..." Gaara held his head in rage, his eyes brimming with insanity. "I still haven't forgiven her. This grudge will rage on forever. The many times people feared to assassinate me... I realized my purpose was to kill." Gaara looked up, and the smile on his face struck fear into Naruto's heart. The sand began to creep towards them, lashing out. The door opened again.

"Might Gai is here! Save the fight for the arena, kids!"

Rena had finally located Gaara, but it seemed like she was a few floors above her paygrade. She could hear blondie yelling, so she did the only thing she could- charging up and clearing three floors in a single jump. Not very smart, as she was afraid of heights. She slammed against the window, clawing at the sides as both Shikamaru and Naruto jumped from the sound. She was an unexpected drop-in, but Gaara didn't even bat an eye. "Gaara, I've been looking for you!" She balanced herself but it seemed like even the slightest amount of wind could tip her over and send her plummeting.

Gaara, seemingly uninterested, didn't even look at her. Naruto was paralyzed by fear and Shikamaru was racking his brain for a strategy. If Gai hadn't come in, the floor would have been covered in blood…

"Gaara?" Rena asked, tilting her head to the side. "Help me in?"

"Stay away from me." He muttered, brushing past the paralyzed Naruto & Shikamaru. Rena dropped from the open window, priming up to chase after him, but Naruto blocked her path, causing her to skid to a stop in front of the blonde kid.

"He'll… he'll kill you! What are you doing, chasing after him?!"

"Is it any of your business whether I live or die?" Rena snapped, slipping under his arm like it was a game of competitive limbo. "Stay out of my way, kid, I can take care of myself." As she ran out, Naruto was still trying to think of a comeback.

As she turned the corner, Gaara was standing at the other end of the hallway… waiting for her. But, without turning around to face her, he began to speak. "Why do you keep following me? I've threatened your life, I've told you to stay away from me and I've almost killed my siblings in front of you. I've attacked you several times. Do I need to break your legs to get my point across?"

He was back to being cold and cruel, but she was unfazed. She committed to this, so she would pull through. "Even if you did break my legs, I'd drag myself with my arms so I'd always be two steps behind you. Break my arms and I'll just use my mouth to pull myself along!"

"Why do you bother?" He sighed. "Why are you so persistent…? I'm just going to be the one to kill you in the end." Rena approached him from behind and he made no move to leave or stop her. She intertwined her fingers with his, after a moment, Gaara curled his fingers, locking them both in a hand-holding grip.

"I already told you. If you want me to die, I'll die."

"Don't expect me to save you if you're in trouble."

"I don't, Gaara."

And like that, in silence, they walked out of the building. There was still, however, one place left Gaara wanted to go.

**X**

* * *

**X**

_Kakashi's Training Grounds_

**Rena and Gaara's Relationship Level:** 85%

**X**

* * *

**X**

"Wait, Sasuke. I smell bloodlust in the air." Kakashi temporarily stopped Sasuke's training. Gaara himself stepped out from behind a rock. He hadn't been watching them for long, but he made no move to hide his intent. He'd delivered Rena safely to the inn before coming here, so nothing was holding him back.

"I had a feeling it was you." The taller man with white hair was rather nonchalant with the way he spoke as if he was confident he could fend off Gaara.

"You have the same eyes as me, Sasuke Uchiha," Gaara stated, ignoring Kakashi's words. He'd probably have observed for a little longer had the Jonin not interfered. "Hate-filled and seeking purpose, vengeance." It was true, Gaara's eyes were nothing less than filled with it- and he knew it.

"I'm trying to train. Get lost." It was clear Sasuke was uninterested in having a conversation. That was fine. But, his attempt at seeing if the Uchiha would understand was futile. He disappeared his destination the inn, allowing the two to resume training. Purpose… perhaps he didn't need to seek it as much as he had before...

_The Dancing Leaf Inn_

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Gaara, putting our mission in jeopardy?!" Baki's harsh voice filled the silence of the room in the inn. "And Rena, letting him go off like that when you caught him… I thought you were smarter than this! It proves Sansa is right in placing restrictions on you!"

"I made him swear not to shed blood.." Rena whispered, her head low. She knew she shouldn't have, but when Gaara asked her… she couldn't say no. He could have just taken off, but he stopped to ask her for once.

"Are you stupid enough to think that a _promise_ would stop him? Do you think you have what it takes? You haven't even started training with Sansa yet and you think you can stop a Jinchuriki?! This isn't some fantasy world where all of your wishes can come true! It's time for you to wake up and face reality- you're going to get yourself killed if you keep walking the path you do!"

"Shut up, Baki." Gaara stood. "I did what she asked, so there should be no problem. Shut up." Sand particles floated around him irregularly as he walked out of the room, slamming the door shut with the sand he'd gathered. It almost caused Rena to smile- It hadn't been easy to get to this point, but Gaara was shifting. Everything was changing from what it was. He was getting better but he had a habit of destroying their progress by burning the bridges they made together. He'd finally asked her something, rather than just going off on his own and doing it… that was enough for tonight.

Soon, however, the Chuunin exams would start again. Soon, she'd face Kana and either die or be the one killing her. She'd never killed anyone before... Not that she remembered, anyway. As she walked back to her room, wordlessly, ignoring Baki, she opened up her window, looking out of it. Seeing the black box on her windowsill, she brought it inside and opened it. "What a pretty flower arrangement… who left you here?"

She opened the note within, reading over it.

"Dried flowers never die. I hope that this could be our love. Your… a secret admirer?" Who could it possibly be? Gaara wouldn't do something like this and Kankuro had been knocked out. Maybe a Leaf shinobi? Regardless, she wasn't interested.

Gaara rested in his bed, staring down the wall, thinking... Imagining. Perhaps there was a future in which he and Rena could coexist… perhaps he didn't need to kill her. Maybe someday, but not today. He would be her purpose, her everything. He would make sure it stayed that way and that nothing ever changed. He wanted her. He would have her. Regardless of whether Kankuro loved her or not, he was sure she would remain his.

Little did either of them know, on a little balcony, the alienistic chakra from the preliminaries lay brewing. "How very interesting…" The woman laughed, delicately and femininely. She was covered in a black cloak, meant to obscure her face, but her hands and lips were dainty. She poured her tea into her cup, looking through Rena's window… observing. A light wind wafted the scent of the tea into the breeze, exposing just for a moment the woman's eyes.

A set of bright, purple pupils. She smiled, almost sadistically, as if she knew secrets that nobody else did. "You're mine… I'll take you back, but I think I'll play with all of the new toys around you first. You'll remember the worth of your blood... The worth _that woman _pretending to be your mother degraded."


	13. 13 - I'm Becoming The Colour Black

Tsukiyomi had made a rather fast recovery. Su had gotten her room, but she didn't know that it was embroidered in all black. Tsukiyomi spent most of her time embroidering Su's clothing, making black, lacey patterns. Not that Su noticed that, either. The Genin were doing their best to keep Tsukiyomi hidden from the Jonin, but there was only so much they could do, especially with Tsukiyomi wanting to get up and make food for Rena or work for money. "Tsukiyomi… these feel different." Tsukiyomi looked up from her current project. She had been carving masks with her delicate hands, knowing that the oncoming Vitality Festival was that night. Her hair splayed around the room, having grown quite a bit since her last time awake. It was draped over a chair, half of it going the other way and twisting around a lamp while she used her self puppetry to craft multiple outfits and masks at the same time.

"Really?" She tilted her head to the side, looking at Su blankly. "Different how?"

"Just… texture-wise." Su's fingers rubbed against her clothes. They looked as if they'd been crafted by someone with a keen eye for fashion, rather than battle-gear. Tsukiyomi had been bored, but that didn't mean she barred the functionality. She had replaced the damaged metal plates and added more, but kept the lightweight factor to Su's armor. She pulled more threads through the clothes she was crafting.

"Hm. That's strange." Tsukiyomi shrugged it off, not interested in continuing the conversation. She preferred the quiet. It was strange that Su talked more than she did. She had no reason to speak unless it was so ordained or required by Rena. Still, she had taken in the sights of the Hidden Leaf when she snuck out the night before, learning that they, indeed, were having a festival of Vitality. She knew that her Master would be interested, therefore, she took to creating the garb for the festival herself with slight modifications. Then, she got a bit out of hand and made one for everyone on the team. Then, she started on the masks and ended up losing time and making enough to sell to the Hidden Leaf in its entirety.

There had been a few moments where Su had kind of just lingered as if she was waiting for something. She spent the greater part of her afternoon having fallen over for some reason and lying in Tsukiyomi's lap. It was no big deal, as she just continued working with her hair, although she'd probably report it to Rena later in case she was sick. Tsu didn't exactly know what fatigue or sleep was, as her being artificial simply meant she did not need either. When she was 'off', she was 'dead'. There were no dreams. No anything. So, she assumed Su had somewhat died and just kept coming back to life now and again. She'd stored it in her memory banks, hoping to learn more about her Master. Unfortunately, all the information she could gain was that humans sometimes died randomly at points during the day without any warning.

As Rena burst through the door, Su shot up, rigid and unsure of what was going on. She yanked her arms forward, catching Rena in her threads and suspending her mid-air. "Agh! I didn't come here to be attacked!" She struggled and bounced around in the webbing Su had made, trying to desperately escape but lacking the fortitude to.

"Self Puppetry Jutsu; Blade of Hair." A mass of locks raised from the floor and hardened into the form of a blade, cutting Rena down and causing her to thump her head on the ground. She squirmed around the floor as Tsukiyomi tried to precisely cut off the webbing as Su let it go, leaving Rena the space to scramble out.

"Thanks, Tsu! I swear you saved my life!" Rena collapsed to her hands and knees, nearly in tears as she peeled Su's webbing out of her hair.

"...Apologies." Su glanced away from Rena. She was still worried that her brother might come back for her… It didn't help that Rena made such loud movements like that.

"It's fine! Hey, what's all of this?" She was already on the next subject… Su supposed that if it was Rena she'd offended, she wouldn't have much trouble with an apology because it seemed like she really could forgive anything in the blink of an eye.

Tsukiyomi raised her head, staring at her Master. "Lady Rena. I took the initiative of seeking further entertainment for you, as I failed you in the Chuunin Exams and required you to receive a replacement. For the time I have wasted, I wanted to find something that you would find pleasant as a means of gaining your forgiveness. I found the Vitality Festival, where you shall dance with the man the gods intended for you."

"You really didn't have to, Tsu, but wow! Did you make all of these just to try and get my attention?" She picked up one of Tsukiyomi's finished products. The fabric was soft and she couldn't see a single seam. Rena's smile brought a sort of fluttering lightness to Tsukiyomi's heart; through their connection, she could feel that her Master was pleased. Her features softened as she stood from her place, her hair dragging behind her as she offered Rena the mask she had been making with her very own hands. "What's this?"

"I spent a great deal of time on it. Your mask for the festival had to be beyond perfect." As Tsukiyomi offered the mask to Rena, she took in the sight of it. It was beautifully carved with jade ornaments making up what would seem like earrings to anyone onlooking. There were flecks of gold plaint splayed across the mask as if someone had melted gold and lightly flicked it over. The red making up the lines on the Kitsune's face stood out more because of the gold, making her tiny splatters the perfect accent for said mask. "It took me a few tries… but I'm confident with my work on this one. There will not be another mask like it at the festival."

"Alright! Thanks for such a cool gift, Tsukiyomi! I'm gonna dance so hard at that festival I drop!"

"You have Chuunin Exams in the morning. No, you won't." Tsukiyomi's glare caused Rena to shrink back before giving her an unsteady smile and nodding, agreeing with her as Tsukiyomi helped her into her garb. It was similar to a rain cloak, with a rather large hood.

"Are you sure everyone at the festival will be wearing these?"

"Lesser quality unless they buy from me, but yes. I did my research." Tsukiyomi attached the mask to the clips inside the hood, making sure it was steady before she drew back, taking in her work. One couldn't tell it was Rena, save for her mask… and even then, only Tsukiyomi knew her true identity. And Su, that is. Tsukiyomi's head perked up as she heard a commotion from the hallway. "It's not ready yet. Su, give Gaara this mask, Kankuro that mask and Ikari this one over here. Temari can have this one or this one. Don't mess it up!" Before Su could say anything about seeing nothing but darkness, Tsukiyomi slid open the window and jumped out of it. She heard the door open and heard five sets of footsteps.

"Are you alone in here, Su? I swear I heard voices." Both Ikari and Gaara were glaring, deeply, at Kankuro. He might think he was so slick, but Ikari had seen that stolen kiss- just as Gaara had. Su shook her head, her hands running over the table to the masks.

"No… I wasn't… Rena and Tsukiyomi had to leave suddenly. They're getting ready for the festival."

"There's a festival going on?" Ikari asked, tilting his head to the right as he looked around the room, going through the clothes Tsukiyomi had made. "What's it about? Why'd she leave so fast?"

"Tsukiyomi said Rena's mask wasn't complete. Umm… she made masks and outfits for you as well."

"There's no point in going." Ikari sat down on the bed, sighing. He had been trying to get some alone time with Rena for a while now, but Sansa or Kankuro were always hanging around whenever he tried. That blonde girl or whatever was an obstacle too now? "What is the festival about, anyway?"

"I don't know. Tsukiyomi called it the Vitality Festival; she did all of this to please Rena. She said that it was a festival where there was a dance… and that she'd dance with her destined person… someone the gods made for her or something?"

The tension in the room quickly changed. "Which one is mine?" Ikari hopped up, perusing the masks as Kankuro rushed to find his own.

"I… uhhh…" In her panic, unable to process how to tell them that she didn't know, she pointed in a direction in front of her. "That one."

"Move out of the way, Kankuro." Ikari pushed Kankuro aside as he picked up the mask. "Are… you sure it's this one?"

"Yeah.."

"Fine, whatever. It'll work." Su heard the rustling of fabric as he retrieved his coat. "Hope I don't see either of you in the crowd." With that, he was gone. Su could no longer feel his chakra nearby when she reached out, either.

She could hear more movement from the fifth pair of feet, someone who hadn't spoken up yet. The sounds were trampled by Kankuro stomping around, grabbing fabric. "Which is mine, Su? Huh? Quick! I can't let Ikari beat me to setting up!"

"T-That one.." She stuttered. She wasn't confident in where she was pointing.

"There's… nothing there…" It was clear she had a reason to not feel confident. "Are you trying to play a prank on me or something? Now's not the time!"

"Sorry, it wasn't my intention!" Su almost yelped. Why would Tsukiyomi leave her here with people as loud as Kankuro? "It's that one!" She pointed in the direction of what she hoped was another mask.

"This…? What's Tsukiyomi thinking…?" He chuckled under his breath. "Doesn't matter. That's not important. Even if this mask doesn't reveal who I am… it'll be super easy to find Rena!"

The fifth pair of footsteps finally spoke up. "Jeez, Kankuro…" It was Temari. She sounded tired. "Have fun. I'm going to rest before the exams." She walked out of the door and Kankuro wooshed away, leaving only Su and Gaara, which made her intensely uncomfortable. She kind of just slightly edged away from him until she felt herself reach the end of the bed. She heard his footsteps once, then twice, as he examined the room.

They were both caught in an endless vacuum of silence. Su didn't really want to be in the same room as him… his nature, it was easy to see. Especially because she couldn't. The smell coming from him, the sounds he made… all of it was rather unnerving to her. She'd heard about Rena's engagement to Kankuro- that kind of thing was enough to put a smile on her face. He had a kind voice and never really treated her any differently from the others, but he was surely a pleasant match for her.

Still, the presence in the room never left. As he walked to the left, then the side, then the right, she squirmed; his voice was like nails on a chalkboard. "...Which one is mine?" She tilted her head, not really wanting to reply to him. "...Was there not one made for me?"

"It's… I don't know which one it is…"

"I know. You're blind." Su grimaced; while it would be an insult from anyone else, had Gaara really been the only one that noticed? Surely she thought literally anyone else would have observed that first. She could hear both him and the other person walking around, only for him to stop and the other person to keep walking. "I'll take this one." He began to walk away, only for Su to call out.

"Umm.. does the other person want a mask, too?"

Gaara stopped, turning to her, doing nothing but his usual blink. "There's nobody else here."

Su's hands bunched up the fabric she held, her face going pale as Gaara left the room. It was back… the steps suddenly became many and Gaara's were lost in a thousand people walking in the room. She slammed her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the sounds, but it was impossible… they were in her head, after all.

Just as the sun began to set, the festival truly kicked off. There was music, food, dancing, everywhere. Rena was so overwhelmed by it all that she was absolutely beyond lost. Someone had called out about there being fireworks at midnight, as well. Children ran through the streets, playing with paper kunai and shuriken, pretending to be shinobi. Even if she wasn't being accompanied by someone, that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy herself.

Still, she caught wind of a familiar… outfit, at least. Rushing up to him, she tugged on his sleeve. "Lord Kazekage!~ Isn't it amazing?" Rasa jumped, turning around and facing her, confusion apparent on his face.

"Ah… yes, yes it is."

"You're so stiff, Kazekage! Come on, lighten up a bit!" She tugged on his sleeve some more, but he pulled it away. He was being as cold as he always was to her.. Or always had been. She knew she wasn't exactly anything important in the Kazekage's eyes, but she wanted his approval for Gaara. It was important, after all.

"How… are you enjoying your time back in the Hidden Sand?" Rasa asked, looking her over. Her eyes lit up and she stared at him, eyes sparkling, causing him to edge away a little bit. He was slightly off-put by her behavior. He'd never quite seen her as bright-eyed as this, but observation in another environment was good enough… for now.

"I love it!" Rena hopped up and down. "I'm so happy… so happy." He watched as tears pricked up in the corners of her eyes. "I don't think I knew what true happiness was before my childhood was taken away from me, really. So I'm… really happy."

Rasa blinked, before fiddling with his hands behind his back. He didn't really know how to approach her like this. It didn't help that he was wearing the face of a dead man. In truth, behind the mask, he was Orochimaru. Observing his test subject was interesting enough, but he only ever knew her trying to bite or attack him whenever the opportunity presented itself. Now, however, he had the face of someone she respected and therefore he was treated differently. It wasn't like he hadn't used techniques like this before to get what he wanted, but seeing her of all people fall for it… perhaps she had truly forgotten what he made her see in the first place.

He remembered a dark room, made entirely of dirt save for the walls in the front, which possessed a stone door. Every now and again, he would return to her cell, only to find that she had burrowed deeper into it, collapsing from exhaustion as she failed to escape yet again. She would fail, time and time again, yet she never stopped digging. He couldn't fathom what was going through her head. Even when he told her he was going to open her up and examine her insides, she still just defiantly refused to speak to him.

And here she was, her blood finally awakened, her mood different. He had tried every method available to him to trigger some sort of awakening, but whatever the trigger had been must have either been too far from his reach or something pertaining to her past he could not access. Her cell was meant to suffocate her, torture her and break her spirit until she just gave up and awakened, but... It got nowhere. Even when he took out her kidney… he was shocked to find out it simply regenerated a new one.

That was how he knew she was part of the Hikari, how although her blood lay dormant it still could fix her damaged body. Any piece he tried taking out of her or from her, her blood would fix and replace. He had taken to using her red blood as a healing solution, but getting it to work with other people was much more difficult than making it work with the host. However, if she was complacent with healing another… Orochimaru, as Rasa, narrowed his eyes. It would do well for him to wait until she delved deeper into her past to take her back and use her properly.

"Rasa!" She waved to him. He wanted to grimace, but instead, he waved back. In the end, he couldn't pose as the Kazekage forever. Still, it was good to see her progression up close. As he turned away, he spoke to her again. "Enjoy the festival, Rena. Be sure to stay out of trouble."

"I can't promise that!" Rena waved to him as he walked away yet again, but she felt as if something was off. He just continued walking away rather than scolding her as he would have, as he did before. She assumed he was just out of it because of something or other, or maybe that he just had so much work to do he really couldn't think about anything other than his files.

On the other side of town, Tsukiyomi had gone out of her way to set up a gorgeous picnic, surrounded by flowers and origami paper spiders. She knew that Su didn't like loud noises, so the festival was something to keep her away from rather than indulge in. That was the reason Tsu set all of this up. She even had developed costumes and masks for her and Su- the same standard garb for the festival, in all black. Tsukiyomi, though, unlike the others, wore a red oni mask. She didn't spend as much time on her own, simply buying one. For Su, however, she'd created a mask out of her webbing. She didn't really know what else to carve that could stand out from the crowd.

As Su awkwardly stepped to the side, she stared into black nothingness. It was all she could see, but despite the brilliant display of colors Tsukiyomi had prepared, Su still wasn't looking at them. She could almost feel disappointment, but as always, it was muted.

_You weren't made to feel._

But Suno felt.

_But you were made by me._

But she didn't want to be.

_How can you defy your creator, Tsukiyomi?_

Her hands squeezed the picnic basket as she looked directly at the falling cherry blossoms. Petals lightly floated above the koi pond, accenting the water perfectly. The dim glow of moonlight set the perfect mood. "Su… do you not like colours?"

Su turned to the direction of Tsukiyomi's voice. She paused, momentarily, thinking over the question before giving her own reply. "I suppose my favourite colour is black, I guess... And my least favourite colour at the same time." It was both all she saw and all she was visually trapped in. There was no option to like or dislike anything else. Perhaps, at times, she resented her lack of sight; but never fully, because of the way she was brought up in childhood. She always corrected herself.

"They call black a shade." Tsukiyomi replied, her hands gently caressing one of the petals in the water she leaned over, kneeling on the bank. The koi didn't even regard her, although when Su stepped forward, they scattered away. The bird she had made friends with was still perched on her shoulder. "Same with white. But, everything else in between is a colour, yet all colours return to their original shades. Too dark and it becomes black. Too light and it's white. It's a delicate mixture and balance of all things that make them what they are."

"Huh. I can't really see colour." Su stepped over to her, aware of the small tremors in the water. Fish, right? Her mother had taught her about those a long time ago. She wondered what they looked like… but to focus on that meant putting herself in a bad mood. She had to remain on top of her emotions. If she thought any more about the past… she'd… "I'm blind."

Tsukiyomi looked up at her, then back down. "A lot of the time, people say words I can't understand or don't know. Or… maybe, I could put them into a sentence, but I don't know what they actually mean. It's similar to the colours. Each colour is brilliant and vibrant and everyone is made up of different colours, but I'm just… black." Su listened to Tsukiyomi. All this talk about seeing or not seeing, understanding or not understanding,.. The one thing she could understand, however, was feeling like she was nothing other than black. She heard the sound of dripping water as Tsukiyomi pulled her hand out of the water, holding it out for the bird to perch on. "When something doesn't feel threatened, it overlooks you. When you don't truly stand out besides being black, people don't expect anything from you. So… I became black. I only wear black. Perhaps, someday, my skin will be charred black and my hair will fade into a darker colour. I feel so black, that I think I am becoming the colour itself."

Su's hand was on Tsukiyomi's shoulder as they heard the sound of music wafting over the breeze. Tsukiyomi turned to look at her, her blue eyes unfeeling. "I don't understand. I don't see the difference between humans like you and humans like Rena or Kankuro. There are a few whose voices seem sweet and those whose voices seem grating… but the biggest difference I truly see is between myself and everyone else."

Su could empathize. Being blind has never been easy. The people that picked on her, made her feel different from the rest, the hard time they gave her growing up… She knew what that difference was like. Even if they were different, they were very similar, in a way, but Su felt like there was this gigantic wall between her and Tsukiyomi. The way she spoke, did things, worked tirelessly like she had nothing else to do and just sat there and did, said nothing when Rena wasn't around… it didn't feel normal. Her words, at times, seemed hollow and devoid of sincerity. But, in all the time she had shared a room with Tsukiyomi after her recovery, she learned that this was probably the most sincere she'd ever been.

Su offered her hand to Tsukiyomi. "Want to… dance?" It could do no harm to offer. As Tsu took Su's hand, she was pulled up by the young kunoichi. The dance was a bit mechanical at first as Su tried to teach Tsu the steps, but it seemed like it was hard to get her to loosen up. "Try to… relax your shoulders, you know?" It took a few more tries before Tsukiyomi followed Su's instructions. Before they knew it, they were dancing at a faster, more coordinated pace than before. Su spun Tsu around and she could feel Tsu almost topple over, losing her balance, but making a quick comeback. Tsu attempted to copy Su, but she messed up in being the eyes for the two and Su ended up toppling over the edge of the koi pond. With a big splash, she was soaked.

Tsukiyomi stared over the edge, watching the koi flopping on Su before stepping into the water. The edges of the dress she wore were soaked, but it didn't seem like she cared as she offered her hand to Su. "Would you like to dance?"

Su looked up at her and smiled lightly, taking Tsu's hand. They continued dancing in the water as they waited for Suno, going around and around in circles, small bouts of laughter heard throughout the night.


	14. 14 - Let's Dance! Festival!

Within the confines of a large plaza, people were dancing. Rena took her mask in her hands, examining it, before fastening it over her face and bouncing into the crowd, bowing her head to some and waving to others. She moved through the crowd, searching for a partner, but her eyes were caught by someone taller than her, his red hair poking out from behind the mask. Gaara…?

As she reached out to him, someone passed in between the two and the figure vanished. Rena looked around, trying to ascertain where he had gone but was surprised when she backed into someone. As she turned around to apologize, he grabbed her hand, pulling her into the middle of the festival plaza. She could tell he was some kind of knowledgeable, but she wondered if Gaara had the ability to dance. It seemed like he had a hell of a lot more experience than her as he took the lead, tapping her feet into the right positions with his foot. He kept going until the rhythm picked up, to which he sped up as well. The dance became more passionate, with Rena finally understanding the pace and her own limitations. She did what she could to improvise, probably looking insane in the process, but she was making up dance moves on the go.

Ikari crossed through the dance-slash-battle floor, looking for his mark. If her blood was fully awakened, it wouldn't be an issue… but it wasn't. He shifted through the crowd, through a gaggle of girls who pulled at him and giggled, a blonde one specifically. "Why don't you take off your mask so I can see your face?" As he tried to pull away, they seemed even more persistent. He couldn't move, trapped in between what was essentially his biggest weakness; women. He took a more forceful stance, ripping away his arm and walking further into the crowd. "Darn. Whoever that is, he's not really approachable… but it's kind of hot, isn't it?" The other girls giggled and scolded her for saying something so bold. The girl turned to one of the more quiet ones. "Well, Asuka?"

She stared at the direction the guy had gone but then shook her head. "I don't see what's so good about someone who treats you like that."

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. "Well, nobody ever said you had to be the life of the party, but when we invited you out we didn't think you'd be so damn boring." Asuka flinched as the girls walked past her, ignoring her and looking for something else to do away from her. That was fine. She had to get back to work at one of the stands anyways.

Kankuro, on the other hand, stayed on the edges of the plaza, his mask a little ornate for him. Still, he wanted to find Rena more than anything else. He wasn't wearing his hood or his makeup, so he wouldn't be recognizable even without the mask. He had set up a small place away from the rest of the noise, somewhere romantic. He kept looking but stopped as he bumped into someone- which, to his shock, was Gaara. He didn't wear any outfit or mask and people were actively avoiding him. "G-Gaara… have you… seen Rena anywhere?" He shook his head, looking away. Ikari had noticed that someone was beside Gaara and moved closer to see if it was Rena, but it seemed like it was Kankuro.

Then… where and who was Rena dancing with?

They heard her laughter, their heads snapped towards the dance floor as her hood fell down, her suitor spinning her around in circles, the upbeat song causing her to bounce around, a few… weird dance moves mixed in with some legitimate ones. It clearly looked like she was improvising simply because she didn't know how to dance, but they worked. Kankuro wanted to step forward, but her mystery man took her hands again and began to spin. She looked like she was having fun as she skipped around him in a circle, doing a sort of peacock strut. It seemed like her energy was infectious as another girl stepped in between her and her partner, staring to dance as crazily as Rena. They began to dance with each other, to which another few people joined in until the entire crowd just let loose. She continued to spin in circles with the girl until her previous suitor took her back, slowing it down a bit as the rest of the party started going up. People were really shameless behind a mask, breaking out in moves that didn't look good or even made sense. As it seemed her partner was more interested in a slow dance, his hand raised and she caught a glance of… dark nail polish.

He began to dislodge his mask, allowing it to hang around his neck. "Sasori…?"

"Tell me, Rena." His eyes glinted as he stared at her, his telltale smile stretching across his face. "How is my creation?"

He still remembered his secret workshop. He remembered capturing her and chaining her to his wall, having beaten her an inch within her life as she tried to run. Still, those wounds on her body would not do- she'd have to heal before he could do anything to her, hence why she was still alive. "I need… water." Her voice was weak as his eyes moved to her. Did she really think she was in any position to speak?

"You're nothing other than a future puppet. You're annoying when you speak. Prettier when you just stay still and do nothing." He could hear the dragging of the chain through dirt as she made her way over to him. As her hand touched his leg, he jumped, the paint he was using on one of his puppets splashing over her face. He drew his hand back and slapped her, causing her to slam into the table. She made no sound, but he could see that she was in pain. As he walked up the stairs, he came back down with a waterskin, pulling her up by her hair which caused her to let out a small, sharp hiss. He pushed the waterskin against her lips, forcing her to drink, pouring the rest over her head. The paint streamed down her body in diluted lines, lighter thanks to the water.

"Thank… you."

He stared at her, before letting her drop to the floor. "You shouldn't be. Remember, at this point, the only reason I'm doing this is so your skin is unblemished during the procedure." She curled up in the dirt, pathetic and hanging on to the last hope of her life. Still, she never complained. That was the first time she opened her mouth. He had a strange feeling as if that meant something ominous for the future. The others he had captured and turned into puppets had at least tried to beg him, bribe him, insulted him, but she did none of that.

She just silently accepted this as her fate.

Suno had finally completed chasing girls and he was on his way back up as he saw the girls splashing in the pond. It seemed like Tsu had taken a liking to Su, which was curious. He never really saw her care for anyone other than Rena, if 'care' was the proper term. More like, take interest in. She was very closed off… It was simply the way Sasori had made her and created her personality. He got lucky, being Rena's experiment into puppetry… he wasn't nearly as ruthless or cold as Sasori had been and wanted Tsukiyomi to be.

Tsukiyomi's emotions were trapped behind a wall and it caused her plenty of problems. Nature didn't see her as a threat, but other humans would see her as bizarre despite the fact she looked, breathed, felt, same as them. Suno waded into the water, shivering at how cold he was as Su turned to him. "Mind if I jump in?" Tsukiyomi's curiosity in Su was enough to make him curious, as well. "I have to dance with all of the pretty ladies, after all." Despite his flirting, he didn't wait for an answer as Suno took her hands and began to dance. One of the MILFs he met in the Hidden Sand the night before they left said it had been forever since she danced and that she wanted to try it, so he learned from her.

"Hey…!" Su insisted as Suno pulled her around, but it seemed like he was being extremely gentle with his movements. He gently led her along, carefully, never trying to feel her up or disrespect her despite her lack of sight. In the end, Su had never really danced with a boy before, but she could tell Suno had some kind of experience. All she could hear was the sound of their feet moving through water over the light music in the distance.

Tsukiyomi watched, sitting down on a rock in the pond. The koi surrounded her as she brushed her fingers over one koi's scales. It was a beautiful sight to see, watching two people dance in the moonlight. She wanted to observe more, know everything, see the world.

Rena stared him down, before stuttering. "T-Tsukiyomi is fine, Sasori, but what are you doing here?"

Sasori's eyes were unreadable. If he was here to create trouble, things would get problematic fast. The terms of their contract… She didn't really know anything about him other than he was a wanted shinobi and that he claimed to know her. Although, on the flip-side, Sasori felt a little predatory. Despite his youthful appearance, before him was the person he used to know. The person who couldn't save him from himself. Still, she was so reminiscent of her old self… it made him feel nostalgic.

After a bit of time, her wounds began to heal, marking the date of her death. Still, she did not plead, nor did she ask for reprise. He found it rather calming, actually, to hear the sound of the chains clanking, being dragged around as she moved, but he still gave her a hard time for it. "Aren't you going to kill me?" She asked, one day, having been finally fed up with being chained in the basement.

"Do you want to die?" He asked.

"I don't think anyone wants to die, but there's really no reason for me to live." She was curled up in a small corner he had set up for her, giving her pillows and homespun blankets.

As he walked over to her, crouched over her, he looked at her curiously, examining her limbs. "Why?"

"Because there's just no purpose in my life anymore."

As he danced with her, they were rather silent at first. "You know, I'm still waiting on the payment you promised me."

"You won't even tell me what it is," Rena insisted, frowning behind her mask. Sasori almost laughed.

"If I told you, you'd run away."

"Why? Was it bad?"

His eyes hardened as if they had gone emotionally dead. "The payment was something you offered me and when it came time to pay…" He got especially close to her face, his voice a low whisper. "You left."

"I'm sorry." She was so earnest. So honest. Nothing like what she'd been before. It was amusing to play with her like this. These sins weren't hers, but at the same time, they'd been transferred to her. "I'm sure I didn't mean to. You said that I forgot you, right?"

"Yes." It was so easy to lie to her.

"Then… can you tell me how I know you? More about your past?"

"No." Sasori shook his head, backing away. "And remember, Rena, I'm watching. It seemed like you needed a reminder, after all." Her face fell. He could tell it was, even behind the mask. As he once more strapped the mask back to his face, he stared at her. "Don't forget about our agreement, either. Information comes to you. You're not to go looking for information about me."

"Understood... Sasori." She was glad he didn't just go take Tsukiyomi. She supposed it was a warning about her telling Gaara. She watched as he vanished into the crowd as if he had never been there in the first place.

Now was his chance. Kankuro walked forward, approaching Rena, but as he reached out to her, another, shorter person in a mask grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the dancing crowd. It seemed this partner was much more inexperienced and hesitant despite their rather bold move in grabbing her hand. The figure paused, seemingly staring at her, its mask definitely one she recognized- it had been in Tsukiyomi's bedroom. It was entirely black, save for its white markings- but it was the mask of a black cat.

As they danced, rather awkwardly, nobody paid any attention to them. There was no reason to, after all, he was by far less confident than Sasori in his moves. As he drew her hood back up, the two continued dancing. She was truly curious, now, who was behind the mask. Her hand raised, gently, brushing against the material. "Can I… take it off?"

The stranger seemed to not acknowledge her request for a moment, before nodding. As she reached back, into the hood, her fingers brushing against the person's cheek, from the sidelines, Gaara watched.

Tsukiyomi walked up to the masked Kankuro, before leaning over. "It's good it's not you who she's dancing with." Her voice was a jagged statement, not filled with emotion. She had left Su and Suno to their dancing; she felt it inappropriate to remain, as unlike Suno, she didn't require as much sustenance. She'd rather not explain her origins to anyone just yet. As Kankuro removed his mask, giving her a glare, she turned her head from left to right. "That's not your mask, that's Ikari's."

"But… Su gave it to me." The confusion on his face was apparent as they turned to the plaza of dancers.

"Your mask is there." Tsukiyomi pointed directly at the stranger, but her eye caught Gaara, not wearing any festival garb, under a tree in the background looking particularly moody. "Gaara's not wearing his… does that mean that's Ikari?"

Kankuro's hands tightened around his mask as a crack ran through it. His eyes widened. "S-Sorry, Tsukiyomi… I seem to have broken it." Tsukiyomi looked over at the mask, before taking it in her hands. Her fingers slipped over the ornate pattern she had spent so much time working on. Still, despite looking at the jagged crack, she felt nothing.

"It's fine. These masks are delicate anyways." She disconnected her mask from her face, before offering it to Kankuro. "You should still have a chance with this one. I'll wear the broken one." She placed the deer mask back over her face and the bird that followed her set down on one of the antlers. "Go, Kankuro." He had been trying to say something to her, but she wasn't interested. All that she knew was that Rena was her mission and her purpose. Anything that endangered that, whether it be Ikari or Gaara, was an obstacle to be eliminated. Whether that should be done via social means or via assassination, it didn't matter.

Kankuro looked over, but Rena was gone. His eyes widened, before sighing. He had lost this chance. It wasn't Rena's fault, at least- she didn't know who was who behind the masks. He was certain that if it wasn't a festival with masks, he'd be dancing with her. That was fine. Even if he didn't capture her heart today, he would work double-time to win it over tomorrow, no matter what. He may not be able to win his fight, but he'd still try his damndest to be the stunning shinobi that he planned to. If he couldn't catch her attention with his antics alone, he'd do so with his Jutsu.

As Rena pulled away the mask, her eyes widened. "G-Gaara?" The boy nodded. He found it quite ridiculous and gaudy, but he felt uncomfortable about this festival, so he couldn't let her go alone. "It's you!" The smile on her face caused him to flush. He was getting rather used to the fever now, but there was also something else building up within him. Even now, as he glanced at her, it was a hard struggle between his values, beliefs and his… whatever this was. Did she challenge everything he believed in? If she did… no matter what, he had to deal the final blow.

His sand clone on the side had served him well. Kankuro didn't suspect he was interacting with Rena, so he wouldn't report back to Sansa. The only one left unaccounted for was Ikari, but he already had preparations in place. He could consider this a form of training. He took her hand and reapplied his mask, moving through the crowd.

Ikari stalked behind them, his mood souring. He couldn't see who'd been dancing with her from the angle she was at. Never mind that, he'd grab her anyways. He hated that Sansa talked down to him in the way she did and that incited him to chase after her even more. He wouldn't be threatened by someone like her. He wouldn't back down! But, strangely enough, he could see Rena- with her hood down, mask off, moving in the corner of his eye. No way! She was… right in front of him, wasn't she? Had he totally been following the wrong person?

Tsukiyomi saw it too. She grabbed Kankuro's hand, causing him to jolt and pulled him out to the dance floor. "Go. She's there."

Kankuro and Ikari advanced toward Rena, but she dived deeper into the crowd. Tsukiyomi turned her head around to find Gaara, but there was nothing where he'd been standing. Only Ikari and Kankuro, with a new mask, stood, facing one another. Ikari would have originally recognized Kankuro, had he been wearing his original mask- but Tsukiyomi wore it now. Who the hell was this? Was he trying to dance with Rena too?

Kankuro, on the other hand, couldn't recognize the mask. He didn't know who it was, but he felt strongly that whoever was underneath it was a rival. Their eyes caught wind of her purple hair again and as Ikari turned to leave, suddenly, Kankuro grabbed him. "?!" If Kankuro could see the face Ikari was making, he'd definitely let go, but Kankuro's hands enveloped Ikari's. Ikari wanted to pull back, but Kankuro was much too experienced with his hands, trapping them in a lock as he pulled Ikari closer. He began to dance, aggressively trying to stomp Ikari's feet, who did the dance of dodging- only to counterattack. It became an aggressive dance, which looked passionate to anyone else- including Tsukiyomi, who was watching with a blank face.

What is that idiot doing?

People began to clear the way as Ikari and Kankuro were trapped in a dance that wouldn't end until one of them fell; Ikari was just about done with this situation. Fine, if he wanted to play it that way?! He began to stomp aggressively back, their ouch-es heard under their breath as some hit and some didn't, the dance becoming something equivalent to a tango.

"How passionate those lovers must be!" A girl exclaimed, watching with wide eyes. "This is the best dance so far!"

Both of them were irritated upon hearing that. Kankuro wouldn't let this person dance with Rena. Ikari had to escape Kankuro's grasp, but Kankuro was focused entirely on him before Ikari hit him with a massive stomp that caused him to bounce on one foot. Ikari took the chance to break away, but suddenly, he felt himself being pulled back. Chakra strings?! So that was the kind of play this guy was doing. He wouldn't be out-shinobi'd. Rena could wait- she wasn't with anyone anyways. He needed to beat his ass in a shinobi dance.

On the sidelines, Rasa watched as the children made fools out of themselves. In truth, it was Orochimaru, but the disguise was enough. He had to at least make an appearance and keep up normality, pretend like he was on good terms with the Hidden Leaf. He made the mistake of not watching out for someone he really should have. As Sansa bumped into him, he staggered, almost tipping over. He hadn't been paying attention, but she seemed to be inebriated. Alcohol wasn't really something Orochimaru was interested in. Neither were women or men. "Why don't you… participate, Rasa?" Sansa asked, rubbing her face against the fabric of his uniform. "You'd look good… in the outfit."

Had Orochimaru been mistaken when he thought there was nobody other than Rasa's children in his life he'd have to look out for? Everyone of note, he'd replaced, but he knew who this was- The Devil Tactician of the Hidden Sand. Drunk beyond belief. He was also positive she was the leader of the ANBU in the Sand, but she hadn't been around the Kazekage at all when he'd murdered him. They couldn't be close, could they? "Rasa… come on. Dance with me."

"I'd rather not." He shot her down quickly, hoping she'd go on her way.

She simply dug her nails into his arm, causing him to grit his teeth. "You can't just tell me you love me and then be an absolute asshole!" She smacked him on the arm, causing him to draw back and stare at her. He had to think of something and quick. Rasa was a moron for telling Sansa such a thing before this plan…!

"I think we should focus on the mission at hand," Rasa replied, trying to distance himself, but she just got closer.

"Rasa… don't you remember me? Don't you remember those nights together? Lord Kazekage… I have to confess my sins." He wasn't a damn confessional. "I love you as Lord Kazekage…" Where the hell was she going with this? "But I love you as Rasa more." Teams dripped from her eyes as she buried her face in his coat yet again, letting go of his arm as she wrapped hers around him. None of his followers dared touch him like this. It made him uncomfortable… but he'd never really been embraced like this before. He didn't know how to make her let go, but he wanted her to, while not wanting it at the same time. "Rasa… please take me back to your room… I don't feel so good." As she sort of lost consciousness in his arms, he cursed her.

Still, it would be suspicious if he didn't comply with her. So, he picked her up, ready to travel back to the hotel. What kind of useless shinobi made more work for their Kazekage…? So annoying… beyond annoying.

Gaara had taken Rena away from the plaza, to a clearing in the forest that held the full moon above them. He leaned against a tree as Rena looked around. She knew he had no interest in sharing a dance beyond what they did, but she didn't mind. Spending time alone with Gaara trumped dancing with anyone in the whole world. As she walked up to him, his eyes opened, staring directly at her. "Do you… intend on getting in my way?" She had already taken off her mask and his had shortly joined hers on the ground.

"Huh?" She asked, a sheepish smile crossing her face. "What do you mean?"

"If I were to do whatever I want, right here, right now, even if that meant killing everyone else we know.. Would you get in my way?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Su, Sansa, Baki, Temari, Kankuro, Suno, Tsukiyomi, Ikari… dead? She didn't want it, but Gaara… "Do I have to choose between you and all of them?"

"I already asked the question. I'm not going to repeat it. What are you waiting for?"

"I'd…" Her hands twitched, her heart torn between what's right and wrong. But, she made her choice when she started down this path, didn't she? She looked Gaara in her eyes, motivation burning through. "I'd always side with you, Gaara. Regardless of anything, no matter what you do. It might be wrong… it might not be moral… I might not look like a strong, independent woman in the eyes of others… but I think that my love and my purpose runs deeper than all of those things. If it means I can stand by your side, why should I let pride get involved? Who cares if nobody else sees me as strong!? I know I am!"

He blushed, hoisting himself away from the trunk of the tree as he walked up to her. He didn't know what this feeling was, but finally, he had decided; Rena would not interfere with his views and beliefs. Did he feel satisfied with that? Perhaps not, but… why did he care? Why did he think about this so much? He could feel his want to kill everything around him bubbling up inside him. He had the ability to kill Rena more than once, she was going to let him, even. Yet… he couldn't do it. Every time, he couldn't bring himself to harm her. He couldn't end her life, because doing so… made him feel like something unbearable inside of him would awaken. Something he didn't want to face and had been avoiding this entire time. He couldn't understand himself, yet he understood all too well.

He could kill anyone. No matter how strong they were, they would all die to him eventually.

But she, despite how weak she was in comparison… despite all of her secrets and how much he didn't want to trust her… he couldn't kill her. He was avoiding this realization because he only had room in his heart for him. Tonight could be the one night he opened himself up to someone else. He could get further into this after their mission was complete. He'd have infinite chances, after all. Especially since she kept chasing after him.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into him. "Gaa...ra?" She was a little confused. It wasn't like him to display things like this. He, on the other hand, just needed this. He needed to feel someone by his side, that someone was on his side. The way everyone looked at him… who could he trust? Who could he bear to let in? Getting married to Kankuro… It wasn't right. It wasn't. He hated the idea of it. He barely knew anything about marriage, but it didn't feel right.

He drew back, his lips softly pressing against hers before breaking skin contact. If he got any closer to her now… he'd go berserk. He wouldn't be able to control anything. He was being torn apart, but he still wanted… more.

Tsukiyomi stood as the two battled it out for Rena's dance. An elder came up next to her, holding a cane. It seemed like he was a member of the Hidden Leaf. "This festival... It's never been so lively."

"It's a festival of love. It is very popular with younger girls and boys."

"Where did you hear that?" The grandfather turned his head to Tsukiyomi, his eyebrows furrowing together. "This festival is to celebrate the cycle of life. The kids and the adults respect both the young and old. This dancing… it's usually just three or four people celebrating the festival publically."

"But the masks…"

"It seems like someone's used the Chuunin Exams as an opportunity to make more money."

Asuka panted as she sold masks left and right, her wallet filling up. Damn it, this was the greatest idea she ever had! It had been a lot of work to convince people and make the rumors fly, but hell, everything she was selling from food to masks to outfits! It was worth the moral quandary, for sure. She would certainly pay for her mother to get better!

So this meant that you being with the person the gods destined for you was a lie. Tsukiyomi supposed that was proper, as the gods would most likely not bother themselves with mere matchmaking.

On the other hand, Suno and Su had been dancing for a while. He stared at her mask, before his fingers pushed it up ever so slightly, revealing her lips. He was curious- if she could make Tsukiyomi feel, could she make him feel more? He was addicted to the love that people had given him, but he himself never felt anything strong… for anyone, or anything. He felt the same way about everyone… he just didn't care.

But, if this girl could make Tsukiyomi care, could she make him care? Suno's lips gently pressed against Su's, who was unsure of what was happening. She simply stood still, as if she was waiting patiently, as Suno pulled away from her, his face blank. "I see…" He said, pulling back down her mask.

"What…?"

"It's nothing." He wasn't lying about that. It really had simply just been… absolutely nothing to him. Just like everything else he did with people. "We should probably go back to the hotel. You have a match to win tomorrow."

Su nodded, listening to Suno splash his way out of the pond as he walked as fast as he possibly could. Had his mood suddenly changed…?


	15. 15 - A New Danger! Kana VS Rena!

Overall, the night went as one might expect. Gaara and Rena left the forest, heading back to the hotel around the same time Su and Suno did. All was quiet there, as Temari and Baki were already sleeping.

Kankuro and Ikari got exhausted with dancing, so they challenged one another to an eating competition, which they washed down with alcohol by accident- the restaurant had been so popular, the newer server girl had accidentally served them booze rather than water. Tsukiyomi accompanied them, watching them closely. When they tried to fight each other, she finally intervened, knocking the two of them out with non-surprising ease with how drunk they were.

Sansa, on the other hand, could barely see her hand in front of her face as she got on top of Rasa, her lips pressing against his. It had been years since Orochimaru touched anyone in that particular way, but he supposed… he wasn't really sure what Rasa would do. In the end, he decided that the best way to do it was just getting through it.

Tsukiyomi was the last through the door, her Self-Puppetry technique holding Kankuro and Ikari in her hair. She had decided to tuck Kankuro into his bed, carefully and gently, but for Ikari, she had no idea where to put him.

So, like she figured any normal person would do in her situation, she dug a hole in the backyard and left him buried in it, only his head poking out of the ground. Knowing she had done her job correctly, she went back to her room. Su was sleeping in her bed, so rather than lying down and staring at the ceiling as she always did, she simply knelt in front of the table in her room and stared into the nothingness before her.

Sansa awoke, her memories of the night fuzzy. She took in the sight of a hotel room, looking around, looking at the clothes… realization dawned on her. It was Rasa's room. "No, no, no, no, no!" What had she done last night?! Was it something that was going to jeopardize her current life? She had been challenged to a drinking contest… She had to get back before anyone noticed she was gone.

Rena's eyes fluttered open as the wind blew through her hair. Glancing down, she saw an endless void… to which she stepped back in surprise, tipping over and falling to the ground. It was only then that she took in the sights around her; sights she had remembered for a very long time. It was as if she was eons away from the rest of the Hidden Sand, with the Shukaku rampaging in the background. As she reached out to it, a hand rested on her arm, causing her to jump back.

The person who had touched her was older than her. More feminine than her. Longer, straighter hair than her. Yet… a mask obscured her face, half-finished. It was as if whoever had been carving it just gave up and left the other side white… it was clear it was meant to be a cat-mask. As Rena tried to run around the figure, dashing and trying to jump for the other building across the void, the void stretched and hands pulled her down into the darkness. She screamed, or at least tried to, but nothing came out.

She felt a hand envelop hers and as she was yanked up, she hit the ground hard. The woman with the mask hadn't spoken, just eerily continued to stare at Rena. She'd helped her… but why? "You know, you shouldn't aim to dash into darkness." The figure put its arms behind its back, surveying the void- her voice was distorted, sometimes male and sometimes female. "If you fall too far… I won't be able to pull you out next time."

"Who are you?" Rena asked, unsure of whether or not she should be talking to the person behind the mask or not. The figure laughed, a wind ripping through the night and tossing their hair about.

"If you don't know, there's no point in telling you."

Rena backed up, before taking off into a sprint again only to be grabbed by the woman and thrown back against the bar of the roof-balcony they were on. "Why are you stopping me?! Gaara needs me!"

"Tsk, tsk tsk. Not so fast." The woman raised her hand, her index finger pointing directly at Rena as she shook her head. She was almost ethereal as she began to walk toward her victim. "Don't you know? This place isn't something you can change or remedy. It's already happened. Saying he needs you… that's so _pointless_."

Rena really didn't like the woman's attitude. It was worse than Sansa's. "What are you saying?! Be clearer!"

"I'm saying that this is your biggest regret." She was definitely right about that. Everything in Rena pushed her to go toward the Shukaku, but it was as if she couldn't, like it just got further away the more she tried. The woman walked toward her, tapping her nails against the railing and creating a scratching sound that penetrated her eardrums. "It's the event that shaped you. It made you who you are today and therefore, this is where I… and you, are trapped." It was as if she blinked out of existence and Rena jumped as the girl reappeared as if she'd always been there at Rena's side, hands on either arm, digging her nails into Rena's skin. "This is your version of hell, really. You're not dead… yet. But I suggest that you do what you can to wipe this event from your head and heart. Completely erase it, or you'll be trapped within it forever."

"Why should I trust you?! You said that it was over! That I couldn't change it!"

"You can't." The woman turned around. Her tone of voice was more venomous now, dripping with a poison that hadn't been there before. "But that doesn't mean it's over. Memories are a powerful thing, initiate. Knowledge is king of all, in any world. If you don't know anything… you're as good as dead and things really aren't looking up for you right now."

"Then just tell me what I need to know already!" Rena snapped, causing the woman to turn around.

She raised her hand, gently tracing her fingers around the lines of her mask. "That would be cheating, Rena." Her shoulders shook as she seemed to laugh at a joke Rena had no concept of. "The game doesn't work like that, you know. You have to play it as all the rest do. The rules won't change for you."

"What kind of game are you talking about?" Rena frowned, stepping forward. Her roaming hands found the necklace Gaara had given her and she grasped it.

"O, decrepit soul, lost to time… repeating the same path over and over." She offered her hand to the child, outstretched palm, fingers splayed. "I am no ally of yours, child. Your life does not belong to you and it never will." Her hand once more touched her mask as it unclasped from her face and she slowly brought down her mask, exposing purple eyes… that rooted Rena to the spot. They weren't normal… they couldn't be. The pupils…

"That's… the thing that Uchiha guy has."

"Your body does not belong to you. Your Kekkai Genkai does not belong to you. You have stolen what is rightfully mine… something I intend to take back." Her eyes narrowed, the purple Sharingan piercing through Rena…

And she shot up, panting, sweating, the sun rising in the sky. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she rolled off of the bed, her knees hitting the ground as she gasped for air, trying to calm herself down. Her heart was bouncing off of her ribs like she'd just ran a thousand miles.

Today was the day she faced Kana. That nightmare meant nothing in comparison. No matter what, she would fight and defeat Kana, regardless of who said she couldn't. She would save Gaara, regardless of what even her dreams told her.

It was on that day that the chains of fate were broken and events to make history were put in motion. After all of that pressure… the demons within her were waking up.

"Welcome to the Chuunin Exam Finale!" The announcer said, raising his arms. The arena wasn't fully packed yet, but there were a lot of people in the stands, most having travelled to see the Exams but more specifically the last Uchiha fight against Gaara. The crowds were alight with excitement, the pamphlets chock-full of promising action. "Our first match is two unknown Genin with a grudge, facing off against one another! Rena Hikari versus Kana Yoru! Our second match is a rather exciting one as well… Ikarinochi Hikari versus Tsukiyomi Akagari!" Ikari rolled his eyes at the comment, wondering if anyone would actually use the name he wanted. "Our matches following up that are Temari versus Shikamaru and the gifted genius of the Hyuuga clan versus our own Naruto Uzumaki! Our final two for the prelims of the finale contain the match everyone is pumped up for, Gaara of the Sand versus Sasuke Uchiha, with a finish-off by Kankuro versus Shino Abarame!"

The enthusiasm in his voice was unquenchable, but he was quickly replaced by the same announcer that had called for the preliminaries. "Your very first match of the day, Kana Yoru versus Rena Hikari!" The two locked eyes, their glares piercing through one another. The tension crossed the shinobi between them, but Sansa leaned against the bars, rather uncaring. The cheering from the people already there, excited for the match to begin, was loud. Sasuke Uchiha hadn't arrived yet.

"Rena Hikari. Today is the day you die." Kana's manner of speaking was blunt and rude, despite the fact her teammates were all out of the exams. Her arrogance was almost overwhelming. Rena's hands gripped the bars as she gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I'd say I'd be looking forward to it, but I can't die here and definitely not to you." Kana gritted her teeth, her glare deepening as her Jonin put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Kana seemed to relax all of the tension in her body and moved to walk down the stairs.

"Are you going to keep me waiting? Are you scared?"

Rena turned to follow her, but Sansa stopped her, receiving a glare. "Relax. Do you know how to undo Genjutsu?"

"No, why are you asking me?"

Sansa made the hand-sign to undo. "Release."

Rena raised her eyebrows as if to say, your point?

"You're going to need it if you're dealing with the Yoru. Remember it well, because you may be using it a significant amount." Rena nodded, looking to the side, avoiding Sansa's gaze. "Rena." Her eyes shifted back to her mother. "Know this. For all I've done, everything has been in your best interests. It always will be. Never question that. For all I've said… I believe in you. Come home with us."

"That was never in question, Sansa." Rena shook her head. "But it feels like you've been choking me recently. We'll talk more after the match." As she turned to walk away, Sansa smiled softly. That was her way of saying that no matter what, she wouldn't lose.

On her way out, she ran into Gaara, who was leaning against the wall by the stairs. Their eyes connected as she walked past and he whispered something for her ears only. "I'll be watching. Don't disappoint me."

She laughed. "Didn't intend to." The trek down the stairs was long and arduous. As her shoes finally hit the soil, she walked out to the middle of the field, turning around as she glanced up at the stands. There were a significant amount of people… not to mention, up in the VIP area, Gaara was watching.

She finally came face to face with Kana. This was their battlefield. It was either her or the girl before her. That sort of conclusion excited her in a way that made her feel sick, but she pushed the feeling down. They were silent as the announcer began his speech. "Alright. You have sixty minutes to finish this fight. If you don't, we call it a tie." He raised his hand in the air. "Damn it, the tension between you kids is intense… nevermind. Go!"

The instant he brought his hand down, both girls flew at each other. Metal rang against metal, sparks flying between them as their eyes met and Rena could truly see the hatred infesting Kana. Her first thought was what she'd done to deserve such hate, but the thought was quickly wiped out of her mind as Kana's assault multiplied. She was fast, faster than she'd been in the preliminaries and much more vicious. Rena was having a hard time blocking her with just a kunai. "Woah! She didn't fight like that in the preliminaries!" Kankuro slammed his hands down on the railing, worry crossing his face. If that kid had been hiding that much brute strength…

"You really think she'd show all of her cards from the beginning? How do you think the others lost?" Sansa flicked her eyes to Kankuro. "Her team wasn't weak by any means. At best… they were just sacrifices to make sure she got this far."

"What?" Temari's eyes widened. What did she mean, _sacrifices_?

Suddenly, Kana got that much faster. "It's interesting that you can keep up with me at this speed… but how about now?" Her voice was behind Rena's ear and Rena turned, but it was much too late as the kunai tore the back of her shirt and she felt blistering, splitting pain up her back. Rena cried out, tripping forward and skidding across the ground, unable to control her footing. As the back of her shirt blew in the wind, exposing the scars, Kana threw her head back and laughed. "I told you I'd kill you. You didn't think the preliminaries meant anything, did you?" She began to walk toward Rena, a sadistic grin stretching across her face. "I told you I'd make it slow. I didn't say I wouldn't go fast."

As Kana blitzed forward again, Rena threw up her hands just in time to block an incoming kick. There was no time to do anything. She could just barely tell where Kana would be coming from next.

_What do you __**do**__ when you're up against an enemy __**stronger**__ than __**you**__?_

No, not the voices! Not now! As she rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a kunai that was now embedded in the ground, she did her best to block them out of her mind and focus on the battle.

_Run? Where'd you get such a __**pathetic**__ idea? No, you __**don't run**__…._

Suddenly, it was as if a flow of energy hit Rena. Her hands began to shake and her mind was alight with possibilities. She knew Kana was coming.

_**Use their strength against them.**_ _Don't let the fight go their way._ _Do __**everything**__ you can, even __**sacrifice**__ your own __**body**__, to make sure nothing goes their way._

Rena bent backward as Kana sailed at her with a kick, causing the girl to fly over her and smash into the wall. Her glare was definitely one that would be great as a picture on Rena's nightstand. Kana wasn't stunned for long, however, as she charged at Rena. There weren't many options, so she'd just have to go with what felt right. She didn't move until the last moment, opening her arms in a slow, wide movement… this caused Kana to leap back, wary of her actions. This freed her up, even for a moment, as she dropped her arms. "Damn you!" Kana yelled, realizing it was a fake-out. She burst forward, only for Rena to kick up dust in her eyes, causing the girl to fall back as she proceeded to come in through the dust cloud, landing a huge hit on Kana's face. The girl flew across the ground, hitting hard and rolling a few more meters.

"Go Rena!" Kankuro cheered. He hadn't been worried, not at all.

"For someone without any shinobi training, she really is... amazing!" Temari exclaimed, excitement showing on her face.

Sansa's lip curled upward, into a half-smile. She truly was... The Rena from before, through and through. The memories came rushing back. Meanwhile, Gaara watched, his eyes wide. So even though she was weak… she fought with all she had, struggling to preserve that meaningless life of hers. Even with barely any abilities, even despite the fact she knew nothing… even though she had no specialty… this her… this person she was, here, today, fighting in front of him, even though she might have her secrets… he was sure this was the Rena he'd always known.

Still, it seemed like Kana wasn't done yet. Her eyes were full of a thirst for vengeance as she stood up, her voice a low growl. "Are you proud…? Proud of being pathetic?" Wiping away the blood on her cheek, she began to weave her hand-signs. Rena realized, almost instantaneously, that it wasn't a good thing for Kana to complete them. However, she was less than up to speed with Kana and before she could even start her mad dash, it was too late. "Heaven's Judgement!"

Feathers began to fall from the sky in a small area, covering Rena. It was overwhelming to be covered in absolute darkness, nothing but torches surrounding her. Before her, something raised from the water below, the feathers floating along the slight tremors. It was a gate… a gate to the underworld. Rena could feel that something hit her and she keeled over, grabbing her stomach. Another blow hit her face. Where the hell was it coming from? She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't see anything beyond what was there. She didn't really know about Genjutsu, but this is what it had to be, right?

Raising her hand and making the sign, she stepped back cautiously. "Release!" Nothing happened, but there was a blow to the back of her head causing her to skid forward. She felt like she was soaked from head to toe… could this really be a Genjutsu? "Release!" She tried again.

A low growl came from some indiscriminate area. She slowly turned around to face a pair of red eyes, large and terrifying, slits that pierced and judged her very soul.

**O, pitiful youth, this is your end. But if you should desire otherwise...**

The group watched with worried faces as Rena failed to move. Sansa's grip on the railing became tighter as Kana toyed with punting her around. The blank look in her eyes… so Kana was that far in the Yoru teachings. No wonder she'd been having trouble with Rena before; her specialty was the Genjutsu of the Yoru clan. Judging by how she hadn't used it yet, she wasn't perfect in it, but still, that was more than enough to defeat Rena, whose biggest weakness has always been illusions.

"So, I see she's as _pathetic_ as ever." Sansa froze and it was as if the atmosphere turned to stone. Nobody could move an inch as the sound of heels clicking against the floor filled their ears. It still felt like there was nobody there. Even the sounds she was making felt far away and inconceivable. A cloaked woman came into view. She placed her well-manicured hands on the rail, her black lips twisted into a smile.

"L-Lady… Owari…" Baki looked on, unable to speak or move, frozen in place by whatever effect this woman had on her. Only his eyes could move, following the movements she took as she spread out amongst the bars, laughing each time Rena got hit. "H-How…? You…"

"I'm dead?" Owari brought her hands up, gently bringing down her hood to reveal long, permed hair. Her eyes were the same piercing purple as Rena's, but she herself held something different. She looked as if she were a deity made flesh as she spun around in a circle and smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. "That's right… I died. By the hands of my son, as I watched you escape with my child." Her demeanour changed. It was as if she had the eyes of a thousand demons, all trained on Sansa, her bloodlust spiking that it felt as if death was inevitable.

It seemed Sansa was the only one free of her influence as she dropped to her knees, bowing, her forehead touching the floor. "Lady Owari, if I knew you were alive, I would have-"

"Shut up…_ Sansa_." Sansa's voice went quiet. Baki had never seen her so submissive, nor had he seen her succumb so fast to anyone. She didn't even show the Kazekage that kind of respect. "It seems like… you broke my toy." She watched with glee, leaning on the rail and supporting her head with her cheek in her hand as she tapped her foot against the floor. "Is that useless piece of trash down there really my daughter?" Owari broke out into laughter, her shoulders shaking as she stepped back. "How _ugly_! How _gross_!" Her smile faded as she continued. "How **detestable**! How **disgusting**!" Her expression descended into absolute rage, her laughter becoming anger and agony. "How _worthless_. How **useless**. How _**insignificant**_…" She paused, then shrugged, before laughing again. "But how interesting! Watching my daughter die… that'd be so interesting!" She ran back up to the railing, the amusement on her face terrifying.

Gaara was filled with fear. He couldn't move. His sand couldn't move. He even felt like his very blood was coming to a slow stop, yet his heart was pounding… fear…? Was this real, palpable fear?

"Who are you to talk… about your daughter like that?!" Naruto struggled against the influence, as he was more than bound to. Owari's eyes snapped to him and she disappeared, reappearing before him, her smile becoming more than just one of amusement, but one of sadistic enjoyment.

"What did you say? Are you telling me how to live my life?" Her head tilted to the side, a collective group of her bangs falling in between her eyes having dislodged from behind her ear. "Are you _chaining_ me? _Restricting_ me? Are you going to _kill me_?" She got closer with every question. "Do you want to kill me? If you want to kill me, then _do_ it." A smile stretched across her face as the boy's fear overtook his desire to do good. "You fool. Talk is _worthless_. _You_ are worthless. Only action shall sate me. Only those who take action deserve to look at me, to stand in front of me and _live_."

"Please, Lady Owari," Sansa begged. "Leave them out of this." Another grin as she walked over to Sansa before drawing her leg back and slamming her in the stomach. She flew into the air, hitting the ceiling overhead before dropping back to the ground, coughing.

"Since you've begged me… I suppose I can leave out the insignificants. They are nothing in this world but bugs anyways." She skipped around, spinning in a circle again. "But… If you've gone and broken my toy, I need to fix it."

"Please, Lady Owari! Rena… she…"

Owari's eyes snapped to Rena. Nothing but cruelty remained in them. It was as if her emotions and inhibitions changed every five seconds. "You want to play with her some more…? I suppose I can humour that request, Sansa, if only for a few years more. After all, she's such an interesting toy… and you've served me so well in the past." Her shoulders began to shake before she broke out into laughter again. "Yes… we can start a whole new _game_. But… I'll need to find something else to play with when I'm bored…"

"Y-You're… The Blood Empress!"

Owari took pause, her face shifting to a blank, uncaring shell of its former self as she looked back at the Yoru Jonin. "And? What of it?"

"You… you died. You died seventy years ago!"

She tilted her head, placing a hand on her hip. "Oh…? Did I? That's news to me. How interesting… I'm learning about things I never knew about myself. But… nobody living today save for few should know I exist. Who are you?" Another disappearance as she reappeared, grabbing the Jonin's arm. Her smile twisted into a nightmare distortion of itself and all that existed in her eyes was pure ecstasy at the thought of murdering him. "You're part of the Yoru. How entertaining. You'll be my new toy, won't you?"

The Yoru Jonin could feel the warmth spreading through his pants as liquid dripped to the floor. Owari looked down, then back up at him, a thoroughly unimpressed look on her face.

"How amusingly pathetic. How nauseatingly pathetic." Her hand tightened around his arm as he silently screamed. It felt like he was being crushed. "How inferior you are."

She turned her head to watch Rena, once more, get the shit beaten out of her before rolling her eyes. She smashed the Yoru Jonin's head into the wall, knocking him out cold… and left his body hanging limply from the hole as she walked over, stepping up onto the bars. As she reached out, an inky black surrounded her hand. She pulled it back out and in her hand was a rather exquisite weapon made from black steel and lined with gold. Half of the blade, however, was made with a strangely clear substance, therefore resulting in a see-through look. The most curious part, however, was that the weapon itself was double-bladed on either side making for what might seem like an ineffective weapon. "Akito… it's time to wake up." She drew her arm back… and whipped the weapon into the arena. She turned back to Sansa. "Enjoy the gift I've given you, Sansa. Do not forget your place."


	16. 16 - Ikari VS Su, Lethal Battle!

**O, pitiful youth. If you desire otherwise, we shall assist you.**

"I… don't know who you are. And I don't need your help!" Rena insisted as another kick flew at her, sweeping her feet out from under her. As she hit the ground, the figure's eyes closed.

**It is not enough to be alone. We are your saviour; accept us.**

"I said… I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" She slammed her hands together. "Release!"

**You cannot do this alone.**

"I don't care! I'm not going to rely on someone to do something I should know how to do!" Again, she made the hand-sign. "RELEASE!"

**Accept us, or die.**

"I'd…" Her face fell as she thought of Gaara, of how disappointed he'd be. As she was dealt another blow, she landed a few meters away from where she'd been standing. Her fists curled. Death. Was death something to be afraid of?

Another kick and she flew again. There was so much pain. She could feel the cuts and bruises all over her body. She struggled to get up, only to see the feet of someone who was standing over her. Her eyes widened. It was the woman with the mask. She offered her hand, her mask up rather than down showing nothing more than an insidious smile. "You… don't need to trust in a beast."

There were two options before her, both unknown and untrodden. Rena grit her teeth, her rage overflowing. "Didn't… you hear me?" As she struggled to get up, drawing herself off of the ground, she whipped her head around, exchanging glares with the woman and the beast. "I said…" She made the hand-sign once more, summoning all of her possible strength into this. She had never really been good for anything. She got kidnapped, so she couldn't become a shinobi. She got this far, maybe by dumb luck or some pure coincidence, with Gaara at her side. She had so much to live for. Everything she wanted was in her reach, but if she took a step back and let others do her job for her... "I SAID _I DON'T NEED YOUR __**STUPID**__ DAMN __**HELP**__! RELEASE_!"

The illusion shattered, and Rena's eyes faded back into consciousness. Kana was circling her, assuming she was still under the Genjutsu. As Kana reached out her leg to deal a devastating blow to her chest, Rena caught it, her eyes alight with both anger and inspiration. Kana's eyes narrowed as she ground her teeth, enraged that Rena escaped her Jutsu. "I'm not about… to just lie down and let you hit me, you _bitch_!" Kana tried to yank her leg away from Rena but was pulled in by her.

Rena backhanded Kana with her other hand, causing her to move only for her to hear the sound of something moving against the wind. She rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a sharp object that came flying out of nowhere. The crowd was a little excited now; this seemed to be unexpected.

"Thirty minutes have passed." She had to have spent at least fifteen in that Genjutsu. Kana wasn't kidding about killing her slowly.

As Kana backed up, Rena did as well, her feet hitting the back of whatever had flown into the arena. Turning, she took in the sight of what seemed to be a double-sided scythe. At this point, she'd take whatever she could to beat Kana on her own power. Placing a hand on the hilt, she pulled it out of the ground, preparing herself for what came next.

"You… you should've just taken your death with some dignity!" Kana screeched, the sound of cracking bones filled the air. "Now… now I'll do whatever I can to END YOU!" White objects burst from her back and with a flap, she was soaring in the air. People were pointing at her, while Rena's eyes widened. "Tsubasa…!" Her wings flapped, keeping her suspended in the air as she began to circle the arena.

Sansa collapsed against the railing. Only the hole in the wall and her memories remained; those not of the Sand had their memories erased.

_Consider it… our new high-stakes game._

She avoided Baki's gaze. She knew he wanted to talk about it and everything else he'd seen, but now wasn't the place, nor the time. At least the Genin of the Sand understood that much. Su, on the other hand, had been quietly observing the entire time. She didn't understand what was going on, but the fluctuations and tremors in that woman's voice… she was definitely dangerous… and connected to Rena in some way.

Su outstretched her hands. She was fine, but for Rena to be discarded like her brother discarded her… she'd decided. Perhaps it made sense why Tsukiyomi and Suno followed Rena… from now on, she'd do what she could to stand by Rena's side as both equal and friend, just as Suno and Tsu did. From now on… she was sure that Rena was the family she was born to protect. Coincidences didn't just happen.

Ikari, on the other hand, shook in the corner. He was almost drooling with anticipation. On her way out, the esteemed Blood Empress…

_Your family disgraced us. Betrayed us. But you can restore their name, black-blood... No, pure-blood. I name you Kuroi-chi, an assassin of the shadows. Do you want to be an emperor? Do as you have been. I shall only accept one of worthy blood to take the throne beside my child… hopefully, you can prove your mettle, yes? You being a pure-blood means you are worthy of redemption._

He had finally been recognized, as he'd waited for. The Blood Empress had entrusted him with her child…

As Kana dived for Rena, she was easily able to dodge and weave. Rena could barely hit her. Still, she persisted, waiting for an opening, before getting an idea. She ran forward, sticking the butt of the scythe into the ground and vaulting herself into the air. Kana tried flying backward, having not expected the launch, but Rena managed to grab onto her left wing, tilting the two closer to the ground…

But the battle was in Kana's domain now. As they flew through the air, Kana decided to ascend, straining against the extra weight. Rena did her best to hang onto Kana's wing despite the girl's efforts to shake her off. She stabbed a kunai into her, causing her to cry out and plummet to the ground. Rena was suddenly holding onto her wingtip, with Kana trying to get control back. The two fought on despite the imminent ground, trading blows as Rena did her best to hang on. She embedded the scythe in Kana's other wing, causing her to fully spiral out of control. Just before Kana hit the ground, Rena jumped, hitting the floor at a lesser impact and rolling to a stop in front of a tree.

Rena struggled to get up, breathing heavily, her clothes and flesh nearly torn to shreds. She staggered over to Kana, putting one foot on her wing and yanking out the scythe with her arms. As she turned to walk away, Kana's hand shot out and grabbed her foot, but Rena came down on her head with the blunt side of the scythe. Kana's grip slowly loosened.

The announcer waited a moment before walking in and feeling for a pulse. "By means of knockout, Rena Hikari has won this battle." Cheers filled the arena as Rena staggered, looking around as she had in the beginning, a smile stretching across her face as she held up her weapon. A laugh rang out.

"I did it! Did you see me, Sansa?! I did it!" She bounced around in a childish fashion as a medical stretcher snatched up Kana, leading her out of the arena. Tsukiyomi descended from a higher level to sit next to Suno, her hood rather inconspicuous. Her hair was up as it had been before she shut down and Suno nodded to her. He was smiling and both were content with the fact Rena achieved what she came to do. "Owww!" She held an aching part of her body, tripping over her feet in the process and hitting the ground face first. Suno stifled a laugh. No matter whether she won or lost, of course, she'd be the same Rena they knew.

Sansa, on the other hand, did her best to bring herself to smile. Lady Owari was by no means their ally. She had way too much to explain. The Sand Siblings… Baki… she'd never be trusted again after this. She gripped the railing tightly, her fake smile feeling like it was tearing her face in half. She did see her daughter do it, so the proper respect was due.

"Lady Owari, Lady Owari! That's Rena, isn't it? Big Sister Rena!"

"Lady Owari, can we eat her? Can we?"

The Blood Empress' legs swung over the side of the top of the arena. As long as nobody looked up, they'd be fine. She put her hands up to her lips, making a hand-sign. Her rather inconspicuous cloak disappeared, leaving only an ornate kimono not meant for battle in the first place. Beside her, two small children, one with pink hair and the other with blue- both pastel- excitedly hopped up and down in turn. "Subete," The pink one quieted down, listening attentively, "Nanimonai." The blue followed suit. Both eyed Owari, their smiles the only thing they had to offer. "You are nothing and everything. Show respect to those of a higher rank than you in our clan. If you're going to have a banquet, do so respectfully when she can fight back- not when she's a mere initiate."

"Lady Owari," The pink-haired one tugged on her kimono, "An initiate is barely close to what we are. We're much higher in the ranks."

"Her blood is worth more than gold. Her status as my spawn has not yet been diminished, generals. As our Princess, we'll give her a chance before letting you prepare the banquet." Owari laughed, bringing up her sleeve to her mouth, covering her smile. "Remember; she is part of the royal main branch. Mere side-branch spawn does not have the right to attack blood when it is not yet aged."

Nanimonai, the blue-haired one, walked over to their sibling. "Her Highness didn't say no, Subete! You'll still have the chance to enjoy a delectable dish in the future!"

Subete gave Nanimonai a smile. "Yeah! Surely we can both enjoy our deluxe banquet when the time comes.~"

Owari raised her eyebrows as she shot a glance at the twins. They were one of the few she could save from the wrath of her demented son. Rena would find that her past would be recognizable; when they were perfect, they would be whole once more…

As the Kage sat near each other, an ANBU member body flickered beside the Hokage, providing him with some files to flip through. His eyes widened, grimace stretching across his face as he looked at the girl bouncing around, then back to his papers. "Don't let her leave the Hidden Leaf." He said under his breath. "Make sure this information gets to the others." The ANBU nodded, departing from the area.

The Kazekage turned his head to the Hokage. "Is there a problem with my Genin, Hokage?"

"No, Lord Kazekage. We simply want to ask her a few questions." The Kazekage's fingers tapped against his chair as he simply hmm-hmm'd and nodded approvingly. Little did the Hokage know, that was a green-light for Kabuto.

It hadn't been more than four rooftops later that Kabuto had chased down the ANBU and tackled them to the ground, quickly ending their life with a flick of his kunai. He reached down, picking up the documents. As he prepared to leave, he looked down. Whoever these were for, they could hold answers to some of his questions… some things Orochimaru didn't tell him. As he rolled open the scroll, his eyes widened as he read on and on. His fingers trembled as the scroll slipped from his grasp and he stepped away from it. "Something like that… exists?!"

He didn't want to pick it up again, but he supposed it was possible… given the time and techniques used. The details in the scroll itself were gruesome at best. And to think that purple-haired girl was something like that… No wonder the Hokage would want her at the very least detained. What was Orochimaru playing at…? No, it was scarier that this thing had basically been in the same living space as him and he didn't know about it. He picked up the scroll, rolling it back up and taking the leaf ANBU's body with him as he flickered away. He'd have to speak to Orochimaru about this.

As Rena walked up the stairs, she stopped at the top, observing that most of her friends & family were extremely sullen. They seemed to avoid looking at her, their faces lacking smiles. "What's wrong?" Gaara's eyes moved to the scythe in her hand. So… she truly knew nothing. Everything he thought she was keeping from him was being kept from her as well. For some reason, he didn't want to tell her. He wanted everything to remain as it was. He didn't… want her to be any different from what she was now. So.. he'd protect her secrets. For now.

The first to step up to her, however, despite Kankuro and Ikari trying, was Su. She gave the biggest smile she could. "Master; congratulations." Although it was rather out of character for her to say something like that, it was Tsukiyomi's speech pattern. If she was gonna play the part, she had to commit to the role. At first, Rena was surprised, but then she gave a smile in return and nodded, embracing Su, who almost fell back for a moment, but wrapped her arms around the girl. Was this… what it was like to have a sister?

"Our first fight has concluded!" The announcer said, grandstanding. "Our next one will start momentarily. Ikarinochi Hikari versus Tsukiyomi Akagari!"

As Ikari passed Su, his eyes connected with [what he assumed] were hers. Rena waved as he passed by, but his mood was more serious than not. This fight… he had to show his worth to the Blood Empress. He couldn't go easy on Su as he'd originally planned. It was difficult to process everything, to really, truly… but he had suspected it, honestly. With the tales that his parents told him, there's no way that someone had the luck he did to escape the Hikari and the man who had them all slaughtered.

Not to mention, his black blood…

He looked at his palms and the scars that littered his arms as he walked down the stairwell. His black blood wasn't prevalent in the Hikari. In fact, he was told that most Hikari born without it could only make a certain amount to store in their body. Those born with it were considered elite warriors, the gifted and those worthy of being assassins and royal guards, the heroes leading the armies. Only a black-blood was worthy enough for the throne. Yet Rena's mother… Ikari wondered about the circumstances behind her. She seemed to have purple blood.

He sighed. In the end, black-blood was the strongest of the colours. He didn't have anything to worry about. Even if his blood didn't have any special properties like the other colours, he was the alternate to yellow-bloods. The Hikari could develop personal releases based on their blood. From what he knew, the Empress' release was the Palace Of Blood Release. He might be wrong on that, though. His Rage Blood Release wasn't quite unique, it had been used before, but it was the technique he was most familiar with. He smiled to himself as he wondered what kind of Blood Release Rena would have. There were more possibilities for purple-bloods, as they were ridiculously common.

Su pried herself out of Rena's hug, giving her another smile. "Good luck! I believe in you!" Su's face flushed. She began to rush down the stairs, almost tripping due to her lack of sight, but she managed to hold onto the railing and find her way down relatively fast.

Ikari had reached the arena ground before Su had, examining closely the remains of Rena's fight with Kana. Even without Blood Style, she had prevailed. If that didn't mean she was of royal blood, what did? He could hear Su's footsteps behind him and he turned, what looked like a sincere smile covering his face, but his eyes didn't reflect his emotions. "Su, who do you think is going to win this match?"

Su hadn't been far behind him as she flexed her hands, feeling the lay of the land around herself before the fight started. She turned her head to the sound of Ikari's voice, her expression pensive as she thought over it briefly. "If you're having to ask that, then I'm obviously lacking the advantage, aren't I?" It was certainly an odd answer, one that made Ikari almost laugh. Perhaps she was smarter than he thought, but that didn't matter. In the end, he would be sure not to treat her disrespectfully. He couldn't treat her as just anyone- it seemed like she may become a permanent thing around him, after all.

"I wouldn't say that," Respect where respect was due, after all, considering she got to the finals in the first place. "You're clearly a worthy match, but I'm simply wondering if you have the confidence to start… and finish… this particular fight." Ikari stepped forward, splaying out his limbs in a crouching fighting stance, placing one palm on the ground below him. He grabbed a kunai from a pouch strapped to his leg, ready to take offensive measures. He was prepared to do anything to prove his worth. Originally, he'd intended on going easy on Su, but circumstances had changed.

"Of course I do…" Su had something to prove as well. She had someone to prove it to. She'd reassure Rena she hadn't made a mistake in trusting her… she would win. She crouched herself, pulling out a handful of throwing stars as she readied herself. She'd already seen what he was capable of, so harming him wouldn't be to her advantage. Her thoughts raced around in her head as she slightly stretched out her other hand, thinking of a possible strategy to take him on. They were evenly matched, she was sure of it. Her expression changed from thoughtful to blank and she could see nothing in her mind's eye other than the goal; winning.

"Alright, well...GO!" The announcer called. The instant he did, Ikari was already moving, much to Su's surprise- a rather bold move, flying across the field directly at her. A frontal assault? There was no blood yet- he made no move to activate his Rage Blood Release. She had expected he would pull a trick like that, but she'd just have to gain the advantage. The young Genin went on the defensive as she sank into the ground, the earth shifting and swallowing her up, leaving no marker or indication she'd disrupted it, to begin with.

Ikari came to a halt, running his fingers through his short hair before sighing, giving a shrug. "Seems like you want to get serious from the start, hmm?" Like he hadn't come at her first, Su would've rolled her eyes at that statement. On the surface, Ikari pressed the kunai to his wrist, making a quick slashing motion as he held out his open palm. "Rage Blood Release…" Blood burst from his arm, flowing and circling around him in a hypnotic pattern, fast and jagged. However, it didn't seem like he was done there. "Rage Blood Release: Rage Whip." The blood shifted and changed into a lash, which he held in one of his hands, staining his palms black. It didn't seem like a solitary technique that was active on its own, but he began splaying out his fingers, splashing blood from his open wound all over the ground around him and in front of him where Su had been. His wrist dripped as he walked around, spreading the blood throughout a smaller area in the arena. This would be enough for the start of the technique.

Ikari wasn't the only proactive one, however, as Su began to weave her hand-signs together, the ground shifting around her as if it was as light as air. She was only a mere few feet below the surface, but she could tell where she was in correlation to the arena floor.

Ikari watched as Su resurfaced, still holding her shuriken. She drew back her arm, releasing one towards the boy, the strings glinting in the sunlight as she curved it around Ikari. He tch'd, his eyes rolling as he made a hand-sign with his free hand, his voice menacing. "Blood Spike." His blood spiked upwards, spearing Su through multiple times as he used his other hand to crack the whip on her visible strings, slicing them clean in half and cancelling out whatever she was going to do with her shuriken. The shuriken, now off course with a snapped string, embedded itself in the wall behind him.

Su clearly hadn't been paying much attention at the preliminaries. This battlefield was his; as both a minefield and fully dominated by his own techniques. He continued his whip's assault, sending it barreling towards Su, slashing her in half…

"Hey!" Rena screamed as she was pulled back by Sansa. "What does he think he's doing, is he trying to kill her?"

But the mind games were just beginning. Su had made that go exactly as she was hoping; as she was speared and whipped, her body melted away into the earth, slipping back into the ground. What remained speared appeared to be a bundle of tightly woven white thread, thicker than the one she had used in her match against Eiji. As the clone dissolved, the bundle burst, sticky strands of webbing being propelled around the area randomly. The real Su, most likely, was still underground. Where, though, was anyone's guess at this point.

Ikari rose his wrist as a web flew directly at him, a wave of black blood bursting from it and catching the web. It sunk deeper into it, but was still visible… "So, your play is to stay underground." He made a hand-sign with both of his hands this time, gathering his chakra and letting it boil upwards. "Rage Blood Mutation; Boiling Point."

Owari almost giggled behind her sleeve; this bastard child was full of tricks. To think he would have access to a Blood Mutation this early in his life. Usually, only Chuunin-level Hikari could mutate their blood. Truly, he was a gifted member of their clan. She was right to stay and observe; perhaps this child was what they were looking for.

His blood, both speckled across the ground and floating in the air surrounding Su's web, began to bubble and boil violently. The webs touching his blood slowly dissolved and became worthless in the heat of it all, his whip following suit as he cracked it at several webs on the ground as he walked by it. He could feel his blood burning his outer skin, as it wasn't nearly as well trained as his internal temperature, but that didn't matter. The pain kept his mind clear and focused on his goal. He locked his hands together in another hand-sign. If Su wanted to play with clones, he'd just have to match her. More boiling blood flowed from his wrist. "Blood Clone." As it formed to make Ikari, Owari was curious when he lurched forward, slicing it open with his whip.

The clone inflated and then burst into a rain of blood, covering most, if not all, of the ground. His own blood rained down, rolling down his skin and sizzling as it hit. Still, Owari could recognize the look in his eyes; it was after generations of breeding that such emotion existed. There was nothing but the battlefield for a true warrior of the Hikari when they were on it; nothing else mattered but to die brilliantly. Even if it meant bleeding out, the Hikari way was simple.

"Show them your strength, even if it kills you. Deter their plans, even if you must suffer. Destroy their hope, even if you must lose your own in the process." Owari's voice rang out on top of the arena as she looked into the sky, her normal expression becoming one of understanding as her pink-haired general looked up at her.

"Lady Owari...?"

"It's nothing. Observe him further. See the value of his worth for your own eyes."

"Su, if you give up, nobody needs to get hurt." As the ground began to heat up, Su considered her options. Surfacing was just as bad as staying underground. She didn't know how far his spikes could extend, but she doubted it only went one way. She had gotten lucky in her fight against Eiji, but this was at a whole new level, definitely beyond that of a Chuunin, especially with the way he'd speared her clone. Maybe… even beyond her…? No! She couldn't think like that! She couldn't disappoint the person who she considered special to her, not like this… it was as if a small flame was set alight within her. She had the desire to win. She wouldn't just give up!

Killing an innocent wasn't really in his repertoire and he wasn't exactly being paid for this, so he saw no need for her to be a casualty. He watched as a web was incinerated within the heat of his blood, moving around and stomping on the ground as he did to let her know where he was. It would make this at least a little more even if he acted more like a bull in a china shop than an actual shinobi, so being reckless as possible with his position was definitely the way to go.

Su shifted her position underground, moving around closer to the wall, using it as her guide to navigating. This was no longer just a game, but a life or deathmatch. She used another clone; it surfaced underneath the middle viewing platform, mapping out where the blood was above ground. She didn't fancy being speared to death as a way to go. By now, her webs were all burnt to nothingness and the refuse from them discarded from his blood. "Waiting out the timer and getting a tie isn't any better than losing, you know," Ikari prodded, attempting to draw her out. He didn't trust this new Su, as she'd used a clone before. He had no need for another him.

"Says you after spearing me," Su said, in response to him saying that nobody needed to get hurt. She was clearly displeased from her tone. She could feel his stomps vibrate the ground… was it some sort of technique to locate her underground? Her biggest problem was that there was currently no safe option. She needed to think more, she just didn't have the time. But still… But still! "I'm not giving up!" The clone announced as it tried to advance. Ikari focused his attention on it, using his whip to slice it in half, but it simply reformed. Su wove her hand-signs, pressing her fingertips to her lips, hoping that she was far enough underground that she could buy herself a few moments.

As Ikari separated his whip into two halves, he sliced it into four quarters. It staggered for a moment before becoming one, but by then it was already much too late as he rose his fist, squeezing it shut. Su's clone could no longer move; his black blood coated its insides and was viciously ripping it apart from within, over and over, giving no space for it to move a single step.

"Wheel of the Spider." The clone stopped trying to reform, dissolving into the earth again as the ground seemed to shift behind Ikari. He could feel the tremors, but still calmly took his time in turning to look at her as she burst from the ground. It was extremely draining and Su despised it, but it was too late to look back now. She was in the middle of a violently rotating ball of webbing, thick strands woven over each other and infused with her chakra to reach a level of hardness that would in all hopes compete with Ikari's minefield. She had her hands locked in a consistent sign, a strong current of wind the cause of her rotations. As it surfaced, Su ripped the ball of webbing toward Ikari, him being her only target- where the tremors had last been. There was a barrier of air and web between her and immediate death.

Moving.

Hardness.

None of it mattered in the end. He began to weave his hand-signs yet again. "Blood Spike." The blood spiked in her direction, the aim to slow down or at the very least stop the wheel. It looked as if things weren't looking so good for Su when her webs suddenly attached to the walls, pulling the ball up and letting her run in circles around the arena walls. She could feel the webbing burning away, but this ball, too, had the capability to burst. She discarded the shell, leaving it to the blood as she moved with a much smaller ball than before. Although her goal was not to touch the ground, it didn't mean the walls were safe, either. He hadn't severed her chakra threads yet, so she still had some protection.

Ikari's insidious smile stretched across his face as he watched her move. Finally, she had been baited into a position where she was easily taken care of… and in view of Owari, should she be watching. He slapped his hands together, speeding up his production as much as he could manage. This was the final blow. His blood-flecks rose midair, forcing Su to ascend more, but she was reaching her limit. Blood began pumping out of his arms and collecting into one massive wave, which split in two and went for Su from either side of her- leaving her only up and down unless she was insane enough to take on those blood-waves head-on.

Su was quick to react, pulling her webbing tighter and obscuring her form. Ikari wondered if she truly thought she could survive taking the waves on, but the ball suddenly plummeted downward. He was already on top of it. "Blood...Spike!" His spikes burst through the webbing, his blood converging on it and consuming it whole. It was much too late by the time he turned around, feeling teeth graze against his skin, biting into his flesh. The anger in his eyes was unmistakable as Su- who had used the ball as a distraction- had, in reality, body flickered to the obscured side of it and snuck up behind him.

It looked as if it were a moment suspended in time as all of the blood stopped mid-air and dropped to the ground, coating it black. She clearly intended on doing something else by the way she was holding him, but he wouldn't give her the chance. She made a mistake. His face flushed black as his blush spread across his cheeks. She was too close… way too close to him! Like this, he… his shameful behavior would be exposed. The wound she had inflicted tore open as blood flowed into her mouth and around her neck, squeezing tightly. His confusion and his rising emotions and sins were enough to drive him to injure her; "Blood Spike." A single spike made a small hole in her throat. He didn't intend to kill or injure her forever, simply make it impossible for her to speak for a while. She deserved it for making him react like that.

Su's yelp was cut off as her air was restricted, the poor Genin struggling against Ikari's tendril of blood. The pain of the small spike that punctured her throat caused her to struggle more, panic and fear coursing through her as she tried to communicate with her expression what she couldn't with words. It was a pleading one, begging Ikari as she struggled to breathe.

Ikari backed up as he pulled his blood back, having choked Su to near-collapse. It began to flow back into his wound, but he wasn't done. He flicked his wrists up, the majority of the blood on the ground raising and filtering out the dirt mixed with it. What he couldn't get back inside his body, he raised his hand and dumped over Su. Screw respect, she clearly did that to set him off. Still, he could feel Owari's eyes on him and he turned around to see her. She gave him a smile and a nod, before turning around and disappearing. She had stayed for his entire fight, despite the danger of perhaps being found… he felt humbled that someone in such a high, respected position would have such great plans for him. Surely, she could see he was the prime candidate for her daughter?

Not Kankuro.

Not Gaara…

And sure as hell, not the one lying on the ground covered in his blood behind him. He knelt down by her, his words sharp and jagged, "You wouldn't have won in the first place. Leave the protecting to someone who can actually protect. Next time, give up when I tell you to." Owari had left him new-found confidence. He turned around, raising his voice. "Medic! We need a medic!"

Su was on the verge of unconsciousness, fading in and out of it. Her head swam as his words pierced the looming haze. She couldn't do anything, save trying to stay awake, but after he called for a medic she gave in to the pull of the haze and the muted anger rising up as she went under. The last thing she heard being… "Ikarinochi Hikari wins this match!"

As Ikari stepped up, Rena stepped in front of him. Her glare was beyond what he felt he could deal with. "What do you think you were doing!?" He simply looked away, brushing past her. He'd explain himself later… when she was herself again. "Don't ignore me, Ikari!" She snapped, turning around. The only thing that stopped her from hitting him was Gaara's hand on her arm. She looked back. His eyes didn't hold much of anything, but she knew he was telling her not to. Rena pulled away her arm haughtily, before sighing. "Fine. I'll let him be."


	17. 17 - Konoha Crush!

Gaara's fight was up next. Rena wasn't worried, although Gaara's opponent had been late, which she took as a sign of disrespect. Sasuke something or other, his name was. Still, he arrived before Gaara won by technicality, rather flashy.

She wasn't too worried before suddenly, Sasuke started getting faster. Gaara didn't seem like he could keep up; she was rather concerned. Even though he was all about defence, his sand wasn't fast enough to withstand speed.

She watched as the sand surrounded him, layers upon layers. Sasuke had tried to attack him before it was completed, but the sand spiked out, injuring the boy before it slid back in, making up the defence yet again. Sasuke tried, again and again, to break open his defense but failed each time. Rena was awed at the strength of Gaara's defence. Even speed couldn't affect him now. Suddenly, Sasuke was moving up the wall, preparing for a Jutsu- she wondered what he could possibly do.

It was as if he had stolen the lightning from the skies itself as he raced toward Gaara, His fist sunk into the sand, the lightning disappearing. Suddenly, Gaara's pained screams filled the arena. "Aaaagh! BLOOD! IT'S MY BLOOD!" He screamed. Sasuke struggled to take his arm out of Gaara's absolute defence, unable to move even an inch.

"Gaara!" Rena shouted, hopping up on the railing, more than ready to vault it- if she broke her legs, it didn't matter. Even if she got wounded, she didn't care. She had to be with Gaara! But Kankuro and Temari grabbed her, pulling her back.

"Rena, stop!" Kankuro ordered, despite the fact she was struggling against him.

"Could… Gaara be hurt?" Temari leaned over the railing, her face stricken with worry and another emotion- fear.

"Why should I stop?!" Rena snapped at Kankuro, her anger visible on her face, rage burning in her eyes. "You guys have been talking about some stupid plan all this time! Don't think I'm too stupid to notice! What's going on, why should I trust you?!" Kankuro almost wanted to spit back the exact same but hid his emotions. Sansa was the one he was mad at, not Rena. Rena didn't know anything about herself. She was just as much of a victim as he couldn't be. Nobody… really told her anything, after all. He was about to reply when Temari interrupted him.

"We'll tell you, Rena. Just calm down." Temari said before Sasuke hit him with another Chidori and ripped his arm from the ultimate defence, jumping back. An arm shot out from the shell, one that Rena knew- the pattern, the makeup, the way it moved- it was all reminiscent of that nightmare she had last night.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

It seemed as if something within the shell roared as the sand began to crack, falling over him and sifting out onto the floor. Gaara held his shoulder, panting. The only way Rena could describe the look in his eyes was that he had, indeed, truly lost himself. She wanted to go to him, but Kankuro held her back.

"I was right, Gaara's hurt. The shell broke before the change was complete!" As Rena turned to Temari, her face was cloaked in horror, frozen. The entire plan was jeopardized. Who knew what they'd do without Gaara…? And Rena… all of this was problematic. Suddenly, feathers began to fall from the sky, lightly floating around most, if not all of the people in the stands. People began to collapse and Rena began to feel dizzy, but Sansa put her hands together.

"Release. Rena, do the same."

"R-Release…" She had known this technique, but her fatigue suddenly faded. The rest of the shinobi did the same, but that didn't leave Rena any less confused. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the structure, causing Rena to stagger a bit. "What… what's going on?!"

"Just follow us. It's all part of a plan that the Kazekage and Orochimaru cooked up to overtake the Hidden Leaf." Temari, Sansa and Kankuro dropped down, leaving Rena to deal with the realization that Orochimaru wasn't just anywhere, he was everywhere. She began to breathe heavily, staggering back, realizing she didn't have anyone. Anyone to lean on… Su was in the hospital, Tsukiyomi and Suno were probably incapacitated… what could she do? Who could she turn to? If she braved the Hidden Leaf alone and tried to go get them… she'd be attacked! She wasn't strong enough yet…

A hand lightly came down on her shoulder. She turned. It was Ikari. "Lady Rena, I pledge my services to you. If you'd just give me the order…"

"Why…?"

"Huh?"

"I'm not a 'Lady' anything. I just met you… and you're pledging yourself to me? We've barely interacted! Why are you doing this?" She couldn't be sure if Ikari, too, was a pawn of Orochimaru in his sick games.

"I'm doing this because I'm loyal to your mother."

"S-Sansa…? But she…" Ikari's eyes were trained on Rena. It couldn't hurt to have her believe it was Sansa looking out for her for now. In the end, it wasn't his story to tell, but he'd do everything he could to make sure Rena found out on her own… driving her further away from the denizens of the Hidden Sand, and into his, and her mother's arms.

"Please, believe me, Lady Rena. There's not much time, you have to tell me what you want."

Rena quieted down, squeezing her hands shut. Gaara needed her. No, she needed Gaara. In the end, that was her sin- she couldn't break away from him in need, not even for a second, even when others needed her too. "Go wake up Tsukiyomi and Suno. Save Su. Meet us back at the Hidden Sand."

"What are you going to do?"

She put one foot on the railing, her eyes broiling with confusion, anger, sadness and most of all rage. "I'm going to do whatever I damn well please!" She leapt from the railing, body flickering, sliding in beside Sansa and Temari.

Kankuro was tending to Gaara, but Baki showed up, blocking the Hidden Leaf Chuunin Exams announcer from the group. It seemed like Baki was going to take the announcer all on his lonesome. "Kankuro, Temari, Rena, take Gaara and go! He's a critical part of the plan as the Hidden Sand's trump card!"

Rena's rage broiled even higher. If he was so integral, then what was with the way they treated him?

"But Sensei-" Kankuro chimed in but was cut off by Baki.

"Go!" He barked, willing to die for his village. He paused as Sansa stepped in front of him. She had some frustrations she needed to take out. She had been complicit in the plan from the beginning, but she wasn't going to let anyone touch either her fiancee or her child. "Sansa…"

"The Sand's best interests are mine, Baki. No matter what you might think of me or how betrayed you might feel, I'll explain everything when we get home safely." Baki's eyes widened. That was her way of saying, surely, they'd survive this. And it also proved… that despite her lies, that despite everything he didn't know and all of the secrets he kept, she still had in her mind what was most important… and that was the future of the Hidden Sand! "You kids go on." She turned back, smiling her normal, cocky smile at them. She raised her hand, sinking her teeth into her flesh. As she drew it back, Baki saw the Sansa he truly knew. "I'll make sure these amateurs don't get past the Devil Tactician of the Sand." Slamming her palms together, she was more than ready to begin. "Summoning Jutsu!" As the dust cleared, it revealed Sansa did, indeed, possess a weapon. A Fuma Shuriken, one half as big as she was. She turned her glare back to the kids, who were observing. "Now go, or I'll kick your ass before I kick this asshole's, Rena!"

"All right." Rena nodded, "Let's go." Temari and Kankuro supported Gaara on either side and they body flickered away, disappearing. Rena didn't look back. She fully trusted Sansa; there was no reason not to.

"Even if you're a stranger, Sansa, none of that matters," Baki said, getting into a fighting stance. "You could have taken Rena and abandoned the Sand, hid her elsewhere. Made a new life. But you didn't. You're here, risking your life by my side, as you always have."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be." It was the plain, honest truth. "Now, let's take care of these morons and show them the mettle of the Hidden Sand!"

Sasuke, however, was a slippery one, bursting past the two Jonin with speed and precision. They couldn't go after him just yet. Baki grit his teeth. "Damn it. Those kids better hold their own!"

Ikari observed her as Rena descended from the bar of the VIP section, declaring her intent to do 'whatever the hell she wanted.' He had been given the orders she designed for him, not that he really agreed with them. Tsukiyomi and Suno, maybe, but Su? She had just watched the girl lose and she still wanted her. It was infuriating. All he knew was that he was superior, yet he had to risk his skin for someone who couldn't even beat him? It was pointless. But, still, as long as it drew him closer to Rena… what better way to gain her trust and love than to risk his life for her will?

He watched her for a moment more, but as he body flickered up to the stands, crouching between the unconscious bodies of the many who had come to see the Chuunin Exams. Above his head, two kunai clashed against one another, dropping by his feet. He caught a glance of a Hidden Sound shinobi fighting someone from the Leaf; the situation must really be dire if they knocked everyone out to do this.

He found his way over to the unconscious Tsukiyomi and Suno. Suno was slumped over the row in front of him, hanging limply, while Tsukiyomi laid back, her cloak obscuring everything but the tips of her hair, which went down to her feet. As he slung them both over his shoulders, he knew they would slow him down intensely, but he had felt a glare on his back since he began. As a shinobi dived at him, he body flickered, dodging the attack and jumping backward. As the shinobi ran at him, another one knocked them over, barreling into them and causing them to crack their head off of the wall. This newer shinobi seemed to replace the old one as he locked onto Ikari. "Hey! You! You're not going anywhere!"

"That's what you think, amateur." As the shinobi rushed him, tearing his kunai through the boy's flesh, he exploded into blood that splattered over the man. He had used a substitution Jutsu; now for the finisher. He made the hand-signs for Blood Spike, the spikes spearing the shinobi through, only for his companion to turn and yell out the now-deceased shinobi's name. "Damn it all. Time to go." He body flickered away, but he could feel the vengeful companion of the nameless shinobi hot on his heels.

He knew exactly where to go. His blood still covered her; if he got in range of the hospital, he'd know the direct pinpoint of her location. The only trouble he was having was with his tail. He couldn't do anything about it while he was holding Tsukiyomi and Suno. Nothing productive, anyways, other than distraction techniques or trying to trick him, but his chakra was waning and he'd need all the chakra he could muster to get the hell out of the Leaf Village. He'd have to… just run for it, damn it!

Su sat up in her hospital bed. She had just reawoken. Staring into her own darkness, she felt discomfort with how silent her room was. Nobody was around her. She was alone. She had failed the person special to her. She grabbed onto her blanket, her knuckles turning white as she bunched it up, grabbing it, silently exploring the depth of her pain. How could she face Rena again? Even her skin felt sticky… the smell of iron was so strong, she felt like she might be sick.

Her annoyance at losing the fight was enough that she wanted to just hide in the darkness she saw… how could Ikari be so cruel as to say and do the things he did? Her anxiety peaked as well… for the first time since losing her teammates, she was alone. Rena was not at her side. Tsukiyomi was not sleeping beside her. She didn't like it… this feeling of loneliness. Would Rena even come back? Would she just leave Su here, alone, forever?

The more she thought, the deeper into her own darkness she descended. Her hand moved to the bandages around her neck, a scowl breaking through her visage. This was the furthest from ideal she could get. She couldn't speak. She couldn't see. The doctors here didn't even seem to understand the most basic sign language… she swore she would tear Ikari apart for this…!

She shot up as she heard her window crash open, the tinkling of glass hitting the floor causing her to flinch. What was happening? Her fingers twitched. She was ready if it was an attack. She felt pressure on her bed and then a familiar voice- "You know how to release Genjutsu?"

/2e0Cdi_TLY8

Ikari had decided the simplest way to get anywhere; by breaking in. Break in he had, for he had no time to stop and go through official channels with a Jonin chasing him down. He had dropped Tsukiyomi and Suno on Su's bed, who hung limply over her legs. With that, he had asked the most basic question; he had asked her to release the Genjutsu on the two. He had no time to do it himself as he whipped around, facing the window. Shuriken aimed at him shot through it, which he immediately countered, having slit open his wrist, blood blocking their path as they slid through it cleanly. They clattered to the floor, coated in his blood. "Anytime now, Su!" Ikari snapped, the Jonin jumping directly at him as they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. He managed to land a kick on the shinobi, but Taijutsu wasn't his strong suit. Even with his hands wrapped in his blood, it still seemed like the Jonin was aggressively dodging him.

"You're not going anywhere, Sand Village scum!" The man retorted, going on the offence and leaving Ikari to block most of his attacks.

Su got to her feet, her attention moving to Tsukiyomi and Suno as Ikari battled the Jonin in the background. Genjutsu… It had never been something she really dealt with, but now wasn't the time to hesitate, not to mention she didn't have any way to communicate her lack of speech or skill in the area of Genjutsu. Besides, she wouldn't ask Ikari to help her with something. She heard the sounds of the fight, unimpressed by it, but she had a task to focus on. She channeled her chakra through her hands, doing her damndest to wake Tsu and Suno up.

The Jonin went in for another swipe with his kunai, but it was blocked by the blood surrounding Ikari's forearms. Blood splashed into his eyes, causing him to jump backward and try to rub it out, but it was much too late. Ikari was already on it. "Blood spike!" It was even more ruthless than he had been with Su in the match they had; as the Jonin screamed, the spikes ran him through, blinding him. As he staggered backward, his back legs hit the wall and the Jonin could feel nothingness behind him. As he moved to get away from the window, Ikari came at him, landing an uppercut, followed by a spinning kick that sent the Jonin flying out of the window and plummeting to his death. "There'll be more coming. We have to go, Su, now."

Suno had been the first to awaken, shooting up, taking deep, chaotic breaths. "Where's Rena?!" He yelled, causing Ikari to tch, rolling his eyes as he glared at the kitty cat. Tsukiyomi slowly rose herself, glancing around the room. Ikari must've lost her cloak somewhere on the way here because she didn't have it on.

"Rena is trying to save Gaara." His voice was full of bitterness, evident to all in the room. "She ordered me to save you and get you three out of the Hidden Leaf." Ikari walked up to the bed, his face hardening. Su's heart felt light, but a deeper wound had been cut into it. At least Rena didn't forget her… but it reminded her that she couldn't protect Rena. If only she had won against Ikari… "Starting now, as the most experienced person in the room, we're a four-man Genin squad who has been assigned an S-Rank mission. Since I am the most experienced, I am going to act as the team leader. Our mission is simple; escape from Konoha!"

Su's confusion would be obvious. Just what the hell had happened in the time she'd been away from Rena…? News didn't really travel well in the hospital, but she raised her hand, linking one of her chakra threads to Suno discreetly. Even if she lacked the strength, she wouldn't get left behind, no matter what.

"Suno, carry Su. She's still recovering from her fight with me. Tsukiyomi, you're going to be our frontal assault member. Carve a path through anything that gets in your way, got it?! Suno, Su, take the middle. It's your safest bet. As for me, I'll take rear guard and make sure we don't get ambushed. We're in enemy territory, so we have to be aware." Suno slid his arms underneath Su, picking her up with ease as he nodded. These orders were simple enough.

Although, Tsukiyomi didn't seem so sure. "Are you sure it wouldn't be more advantageous for you to carry Su, for Suno to be the front guard and for me to be the rear guard?"

Ikari took a singular, hard glare at Su, going over his options, before nodding. "Yeah. I'm sure." Su clung to Suno tightly, for the time being, not expecting to be carried. She hunkered down, her breathing deep; she didn't have much chakra left from her fight with Ikari and judging by his breathing pattern, he was lacking chakra as well. She needed to focus if she was going to be of any help to anyone. Su smacked Suno's shoulder to get his attention and then pointed at her pouch on the side table of the hospital bed. It was hard to miss, as her clan crest was emblazoned on it. Suno's ears and tail unfurled as he used it to grab the pouch, launching it in the air and catching it in his hand as he tossed it on Su's chest, quickly replacing his arm back to where it had been underneath her.

"We're going to have to be a team, Su. You're going to have to be my arms- but I'll be your legs." Su realized how chaotic this could truly get. She couldn't speak or see, but he didn't seem to realize that. The pouch fell downwards as it bounced off her chest, but she caught it with a single well-aimed thread and a good guess, yanking it back up. She then attempted to mime him that something was wrong with her throat and Suno stared her down, really, really hard before he came to a clear resolution. "Uhhh, guys? Su's on a fuck ton of drugs… I don't think we can rely on her right now."

Ikari's gaze turned from hate… to more hate. He was looking at Su like she was the worst scum on earth, his annoyance so profound it was almost physical. "Damn it. Just what we needed." Tsukiyomi also walked up to her, partially observing her movements, curiously watching her.

"So this is the effect of hospital drugs on the human brain."

Su's hand slammed into her face as she bared her teeth in annoyance. It wasn't drugs. She gave Ikari a rude gesture- one he deliberately ignored and acted like she didn't exist because of- before pointing to the door. She could hear footsteps and even though they couldn't translate her strange mojo moves with her throat, Ikari could at least understand that.

"There's someone coming. Let's set up an ambush." Ikari dove into the covers, hiding underneath them.

As they readied themselves, Suno hiding behind a plant and Tsukiyomi hiding behind the door, Tsukiyomi was the first to make a move. "Self-Puppetry Jutsu: Tendril Trap." The tips of her hair began to stretch over the floor until it covered a good deal of the stretch between each side, completely consuming the boards in between the tall plant and the door. Su felt through her pouch before pulling out senbon that looked like they'd been reduced to half size, wrapped in her webbing. She placed two of them in her mouth, pressing them against her cheeks.

Tsukiyomi had been resting, not using her chakra at all, so she was probably their best bet. Su, despite her wounds and her lack of chakra, was ready as well.

Jonin or not, whoever was trying to attack wouldn't make it very far.

The party of four continued on, as fast as they possibly could. It was only a matter of time before someone came after them. Gaara was unconscious, but he was regaining chakra. Rena stared at him, finally speaking up for the first time since they started running. "You were all keeping this from me? That the Hidden Sand was using him as a weapon? I can't believe that he…"

"He most likely didn't tell you because it was knowledge kept only to those who were playing a part in the Konoha Crush." Temari was calm and rational as always, speeding up her pace. "Kankuro, we've gotta go faster." Rena didn't understand why, but the number of their pursuers had gone up. The situation was more dire than ever.

"But Gaara isn't just a weapon, he's your brother!"

Kankuro couldn't stop himself from holding back his emotions. "He told me himself he didn't see me as a brother, Rena." His voice was sharp and cold as he glared at her. "I don't know why you defend him. If Temari didn't save me before you arrived in the Forest of Death, I'd be dead."

"Gaara wouldn't!"

"Shut up!" Kankuro snapped. "You need to stop denying and ignoring the truth when it's right in front of your damn face! You've always been dense, but seriously!? Gaara might be my flesh and blood but he isn't a human… He's a monster! The Shukaku made sure of that!"

That was enough for her. Kankuro could never understand anything. No matter how much you plainly told him. This time, however, she wouldn't back down. His eyes widened when she saw the expression on her face, one of complete rage. She didn't bother hiding it any longer. "All I hear from your MORONIC logic is 'Shukaku', 'Weapon', and 'Gaara!" Temari's head turned, both of them looking at her in disbelief.

"Now's not the time-" Kankuro began, but he was shut down instantly.

"Shut. Up. Kankuro." The venom in Rena's voice was obvious enough that he had to stop speaking, not wanting to gain any more ill will than he already had. "If anything… you and everyone else in the Hidden Sand should be blaming your father and hating him for what he did to Gaara! Gaara was never given a choice and he was treated like trash from the beginning! Who the hell are you to call him a monster when you did nothing to save him!?" Kankuro wanted to stop, so badly, to tell her that he did care… but her supposed death… it ruined everything. "How much longer are you going to be making excuses to hate Gaara?! Have you EVER taken the time to just show him some kind of warmth?! Who the hell are you to call him a monster… when you're ALL god damn monsters for turning him into what he is today?!"

"R-Rena…"

"Don't mistake me for a coward like you, Kankuro." That stung, especially coming from her. "I've never been afraid of Gaara. I'm not going to abandon him like the rest of the pathetic village you guys are so proud of. If this is what the Hidden Sand is, I'll reject it! I'll destroy it and remake it from the ground up! In the end… the only thing I'm afraid of is the people who did this to Gaara. For someone to be such a monster that they can hurt someone so badly… it disgusts me."

"Rena, don't go saying things like that!" Temari pleaded, but it was too late.

"End of the line. I caught up to you Sand Village freaks." Kankuro didn't know what to say. Rena had really put some things into perspective for him. It seemed like Temari had decided to snap back, opening her fan, but she spoke to the two.

"We'll finish this conversation later. Don't do anything stupid, Rena." She glared, hard, at Sasuke. "Go. I should be able to hold Uchiha off long enough for you to get away." She looked back, giving Rena an earnest smile. Rena replaced Temari's side and despite her wounds from her previous fight, she did her best to give Gaara the support he deserved. The three vanished, leaving Temari to face Sasuke alone.

"Damn it!" Sasuke snarled, "They're getting away. Looks like I have to take care of you first."

Temari prepared herself, knowing that she was a line of defense for the Hidden Sand. Despite the things they've done, they were still her village… her home. Her chakra was still depleted from fighting against Shikamaru, but she would hopefully be able to hold the Uchiha off long enough for Gaara to get away.

And then, there were three. Gaara still hadn't come to. "Did… you really mean what you said back there?" It seemed like all of the anger had left Kankuro, resulting in just a sort of sad melancholy. He wondered if Rena would ever feel so strongly about him in the way she did about how they treated Gaara.

"Every word." She was still upset, he could tell by her response. "You have all been nothing but cruel. He strikes back cruelly because he's only ever been taught that's the only way to strike." Kankuro was slowly beginning to understand Rena's feelings for Gaara. His future wife, so close to his brother… it bothered him.

"Well, I won't give up," Kankuro stated, causing Rena to turn and look at him in confusion, forgetting her anger for a moment.

"On what? Jeez, why are you getting so off-topic all of a sudden?" Damn, Rena was colder than the Land of Iron… she probably didn't even realize how he felt, or if she did, she purposely ignored it.

"No reason! I was just reassuring myself. Making a promise."

"Good for you! Let's focus on getting Gaara away from the kid with the lightning hands before you fulfil that promise " She was getting rather annoyed by Kankuro today, but it couldn't be helped. Kankuro knew that saving Gaara meant further losing Rena. However, seeing Gaara dead or imprisoned would not only destroy the mission and lead to a counterattack on the Hidden Sand, but it would also destroy Rena's heart. He'd rather lose her and deal with the consequences later than threaten her happiness- and the Hidden Sand- overall.

Sasuke barreled through the trees, Temari only a mere few steps behind him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold him off long enough."

"Temari, Rena, take Gaara and go. I'll take care of Sasuke." This time it was Temari who was taking Kankuro's place in supporting her brother. Rena stared at Kankuro, who gently kissed her cheek. "Good luck, Rena."

She nodded back to him. "Good luck, Kankuro." And like that, his siblings and his future wife were gone. He had more pressing matters to deal with, after all- he had to look cool in front of Rena, so he definitely had to beat Sasuke!

Rena and Temari, being the only conscious people in the vicinity, had to keep one another's company. This time, it was Temari questioning Rena's views. "Rena, would you really… tear down the Hidden Sand?"

"I don't think I'm strong enough, but if I could… I definitely would."

"You should be careful saying that around people other than us."

"You're the Kazekage's children." Rena shrugged. "Either way, if you guys wanted me caught and dead, you'd just tell on me and that's fine."

"You're an idiot, Rena. You know we wouldn't want any of that to happen to you. That's why I'm warning you, so please, don't go around saying that. The Elder Council won't stand by and allow it; your actions affect Sansa, too!"

"The Elder Council…"

"They're a tier above the ones who advise the Kazekage and help with things around the village. Old leaders of the most prestigious Suna families. Surely you remember them?"

"I don't know a lot about them, but they must be monsters, too."

"Rena... " Temari wondered just what was going on in her mind. To her, this must be her entire world. She had no knowledge of anything beyond it. She didn't truly know anything about herself- her entire life had been a lie. Knowing this, Temari felt sympathy. She didn't know what happened to Rena before she came back, but what was going to happen in the future… she was terrified. She had to get stronger. She knew it. If not only to protect Rena, to protect her entire village as well.

She felt Gaara shift, his head lolling as he glanced upward. "Put me down."


	18. 18 - Didn't I Tell You?

"Can you walk?" Temari's worried tone caused Rena to look at her. Really look at her. She may have been too hard on Kankuro and Temari. Temari truly cared for Gaara, it seemed, although it may just be that everything was riding on this plan. However, she wasn't required to care for him, to make sure he was okay. She'd apologize after this was over and then barge into the Kazekage's office and yell at him for putting everyone in such a dangerous position.

Temari gently put Gaara down, getting out some of her spare healing salves. Rena crouched down, still supporting Gaara while looking at the area behind them. She was sure that their opponents were coming up fast.

"Come on, Gaara, we have to get you moving or the whole plan will fail." She screwed open the salve, but Gaara grabbed his head, pain racking his mind. The blood coming from him concerned Rena- it was just a regular red but she could tell it hurt.

"Leave me alone, Temari…" Gaara took a sideways glance at Temari. As far as Rena could tell, not much was wrong with him… he seemed the usual, stand-offish type of boy she always had to deal with. "Go away…!" His voice and mood took a sharp turn, causing Rena to step away as he glared at her. He rose to his feet, shakily, turning in the direction he expected the enemy to come from, his eyes locking on Temari as she tried to baby him. "They are nothing but a nuisance. Beat it!" As he backhanded Temari, he sent her flying into a tree- hitting it hard. She slid down the trunk, coughing up blood from the impact. She was clearly wounded from her previous fights and as Rena tried to walk over to Temari, but he glared at her. "I don't need you." He spat. She wasn't really sure why his attitude had changed, how he'd gotten so unhinged. He didn't look at her the way he did before, that night during the festival… were they right? Had Gaara been with the Shukaku so long… that he'd become a monster himself?

"Temari!" Rena called, as she rushed to the Sand Genin's side, kneeling down beside her. Gaara watched as she moved, his anger and insanity broiling inside him. How fickle was this damn girl going to remain?! She swore loyalty to him, no matter what he did. Nevermind that- he'd deal with her after he murdered his pursuers. He'd make her remember her promises. He closed his eyes, calming himself slightly, but then reopened them, only to find Sasuke standing on a branch above him with a smirk on his face.

"I've got no idea what scheme you Sand Village clowns have got going on, but I'll stop it." His smirk faded, nothing but serious, pointed threats remaining in his eyes. "No matter what it is!" Rena stared at Sasuke, her worry painted directly on her face for all to see, while Temari frowned. The girl placed a hand on Rena's, causing Rena to glance back at her sideways. Gaara's sand shield cracked, slowly, but the cracks began to grow. "Besides… I'm dying to see what you really are."

It couldn't be just a Jonin or just medics. Suno listened closely, his ear to the wall. One… two… three… four… five… sets of footsteps. He held up his hand, signaling there was more than one enemy. Tsukiyomi nodded, her eyes narrowing. Their conversation could be heard clearly the closer they got. "We'll detain the girl. Anyone involved with the Hidden Sand is to be eliminated or detained. If she fights, use lethal force."

The party watched as the medical shinobi walked through the door, of which there were two. Not yet. Ikari held a kunai, his killing instinct kicking in. He could see the ANBU masks from where he was hiding, as one entered the room. Tsukiyomi prepared, making her hand sign but not connecting the two. Another one followed, slightly behind the other, and as the first stepped one foot off of the tendril trap, a bead of sweat rolled off of Suno's face. As the third, and final, member stepped into the room, Tsukiyomi finished the hand sign. Tendrils shot up their enemies' legs, leaving them in a state of shock as they struggled. "Wha..?!" One of the ANBU began attempting to cut away the hair with a kunai, but more replaced it.

As the medical team turned around, ready to assist, Ikari launched himself from underneath the bed, coming up behind one and sinking his weapon into their neck. Blood sprayed out as he hit one of their arteries, causing them to collapse to the floor, dead. He bent over backward as another attempted to use chakra scalpel to attack him; his leg shot out, causing the medical shinobi to fall over backward. He took the kunai he had used to kill that shinobi's friend and jumped onto their chest, plunging it deep where their heart should be.

The world is a hard place, Ikari reasoned, thinking of his cursed childhood, and I'm not about to be the one that dies here so you can live.

Prior to her room being bombarded by her friends, out of habit, Su had woven thin threads all around the room- nothing that would make a difference, just so that she could feel disturbances around her. She could navigate the room easily this way; some of these threads, however, had been swept up in Tsukiyomi's hair, allowing her to hone in on the location of her targets. She prepared her needles, but they were no good for breaking the skin; they were meant to graze already-created wounds, of which there were none yet. As she patted Suno's back, he jumped forward, slicing with his sharp nails. Su spat needles as the wounds were created, quickly subduing and neutralizing her targets.

As they dropped to the floor, unable to move, Tsukiyomi retracted her hair, which curled back into the braid she had it in before. Suno kicked away one of the ANBU, clearing a path out of the room for them, but as they turned, it was clear they had two different methods of fighting. Ikari's method was brutal and unforgiving, having executed his enemy with no remorse. The look on his face was enough to instill terror in anyone; he clearly had no concern for the people he'd just murdered. In fact, they were the last thing on his mind as he strutted toward the door, not even sparing a glance at those dealt with by the others.

The party needed to get out of the hospital, otherwise, there would be even more casualties. As Ikari moved down the hallway, slowly but stealthily, he made a signal to the others to stop. People were definitely coming. They flattened themselves against the wall, only to watch medical-nin rush past with a stretcher, paying no mind to the hallway they hid in as they were much more concerned with the shinobi on the stretcher who was writhing in pain.

They had succeeded, at least, in not making any more casualties out of medical-nin. Suno, himself, held the preferences of someone who disliked wounding those who were assisting in the field of battle. It wasn't their fault that they'd basically invaded what should have been a safe-haven. Ikari crossed the hall the medical shinobi had, opening the window across from it. It opened up into the courtyard below, which was directly beside the exit of the hospital. Nobody should be in the main lobby at this time. "We can't go the way we've come, because certainly there's going to be people finding that shinobi who fell from the window about now. It's best we descend into the courtyard from here and continue out the main doors- a singular direction. Fewer threats, a more linear path to get the hell out of both the hospital and Konoha. Medical shinobi should be either out or not in the main area at all." He slid open the window, waving to the party. Tsukiyomi was the first to exit, jumping down to the ground with ease. Su and Suno followed, with Suno being nimble enough to land on his feet, perfectly balanced.

Ikari looked around, trying to gauge if there was anything else they had to be wary of, before climbing out, closing the window behind him and dropping from the third floor. His wrists still dripped from the fight before, much to his annoyance- this wouldn't cover their tracks for long. Black blood had its benefits, but it was not like normal Hikari blood. The issue being… he was incapable of hardening it enough to seal up his wounds. It was thick, surely, but not hard. He'd have to apply bandages otherwise.

As they continued through the courtyard, Tsukiyomi's hand shot up as someone stepped from the main hall into the light. "Tsubaki." With a flap of her wings, she hovered over the ground in front of their exit, her gaze filled with malice as her wings spread through the air. "You really didn't think I'd just let someone connected to her leave like this, do you? Whatever's happening outside doesn't matter- my mission is to destroy anything regarding that monster!"

Ikari's eyes narrowed. Just what they needed, someone who seemed annoying and unstable blocking their path. Judging by the Blood Empress' reaction to the Yoru Jonin, the Yoru were enemies of the Hikari. That meant that it was probably in his best interest to kill her… but he barely had the chakra to use his blood. He couldn't do anything.

Tsukiyomi stepped forward. "I will dispatch this enemy. Please go ahead, with haste." It seemed like Tsukiyomi was getting the match she was denied when she burnt out in the Forest of Death.

"We can't leave you behind. You're one of two who still has the strength to fight and you won't be able to escape alone!"

"Nobody knows my true identity, Ikari. I will be fine."

"It's not about that…! The more time we spend here, the greater the risk…!"

"Exactly. They cannot find you, Su, or Suno here. You can be directly linked with the Hidden Sand." She raised her hand, pointing at Kana. "But for me… they don't know me."

Ikari tch'd. They really didn't have time to deal with this crazy bitch and Tsukiyomi seemed eager to fight. "Fine. Catch up quickly."

"Very well." Tsukiyomi launched herself at the enemy, who easily avoided her attack- but at the cost of the three other members of their team slipping by Kana. She poised to go after them, but now it was Tsukiyomi standing in front of the door, not her.

"You're one of the ones at the written exams. You're so forgettable, I forgot your face… but you're definitely connected with her! Clearly, since you dropped out before the preliminaries, you're trash…"

"I'm afraid that you are incorrect," Tsukiyomi spoke, calmly and politely. "In fact, had I not met a rather unfortunate injury in the Forest of Death… I'd have completed the Chuunin Exams."

"Where is this backward confidence coming from when you're a failure?!"

Tsukiyomi stared with dead eyes directly at Kana, causing the girl to shiver. It was as if the girl was looking right through her…"I know I would have succeeded… simply because I am strong enough to be a Jonin." As she raised her hands, her braid began to unfurl, branching out in all directions. "I am by far, the one being that nobody should desire a fight with. Thanks to my creator, I have developed a whole new series of puppeteering Jutsu…" Her eyes began to glow as if triggering something deep within her, an innate nature built deep beneath her flesh. "Self-Puppetry Jutsu…. Blades of Hair!" Rather than one, as she had used to cut Rena down, there were ten. They swayed and waved in the air around her, to which Kana's glare deepened.

"I have no clue what you're talking about, but I'm going to knock you down a peg!" Kana procured shuriken from her pouch and began to throw them, aggressively. As they sailed toward Tsukiyomi, the blades of hair responded accordingly, slicing them in half and causing their trajectory to curve to opposite sides, a thin line of blood dripping down her cheek.

"I will tell you this now. Since I am your challenger, any and all attempts to fight me… is worthless. I am the guardian of Rena Hikari. This job comes with risks. I am not as sorely underdeveloped as Suno." She stepped forward, her hair tendrils swaying back and forth. "Byakugan."

"What?!" Kana watched as her eyes turned from blue to the color of those who belonged to the Hyuga.

"I originate from something so disgusting that anyone who knows will want nothing more than for me to die. But for me, I am the shade black itself. Nothing matters to me. Nobody matters to me. Only my purpose and designation are what lord over me. I can kill you. I can let you live. Neither have too much of an impact that I see the need for either."

Something… was seriously wrong with this person! Even Rena… Even what that monster was hadn't made fear like this course through her! This thing… whatever it was… the Jutsu it had, the dojutsu… it was wrong. It felt wrong. Still, she couldn't back down…! She had her mission! As she body flickered, planning to strike from behind, she screamed as one of her wings was severed by a blade of hair. Tsukiyomi didn't even turn around. "Didn't I tell you… it was pointless?"

Kana held the bloodied stump of her wing. It was no big loss- as long as it wasn't the roots, it would grow back. But still… she didn't see a way she could win this, let alone survive. Rena had been her level, what she was trained for, but every base instinct in her body screamed to run. This opponent was way too strong for her right now…! Tsukiyomi tilted her head to the left and looked Kana straight in the eye with a single eye. Her expression was nothing. That's the only way she could describe it- a blank, indifferent emptiness.

Before, Lady Rena had been in trouble, so she had to resort to the fastest method of dispatching the threat since it was much stronger than this mere Genin. It resulted in a burn-out, which in the end, caused her to temporarily have to shut down. She couldn't use her full power, because she was busy trying to make herself faster. As fast as possible.

Tsukiyomi wasn't even trying to attack her. She only retaliated whenever Kana attacked her. She was so sorely outmatched… and she couldn't do anything about it. "I…." Kana tried to steady her shaking hands, but it was impossible. "I give up…" She only hoped that this monster would just leave her alone… she prayed that Tsukioji would forgive her, but this… whoever this was…!

Tsukiyomi shut her eyes. When she opened them, her pupils were back to her original blue. Her hair began to concede as well, twisting over each other to make her signature twin tails. She simply walked past Kana, ignoring her, as if she didn't even exist. Every second was agony as Kana feared for her life. This was someone… that would kill her, and feel no special kind of way about it.

"How interesting." Tsukiyomi had stopped and goosebumps covered Kana. "You chose life. So this… is what someone who doesn't fight for their beliefs with their lives on the line looks like." Her footsteps continued and the rage within Kana built to a boiling point. She would get Rena for this. No matter what… she'd make her pay!

"Lady Owari." A woman with a rather suspicious appearance showed up outside of the Hidden Leaf, her eyes trained on the background and the absolute chaos of the scene going on within. "Where is the Young Mistress?"

Owari looked down at the woman who knelt before her, before chuckling. "It's fine, Fuyuki. We'll receive what belongs to us sooner or later. For now… we'll let her play pretend."

"The Leaf is a dangerous place. Aren't you afraid she'll…?" Owari's eyes narrowed, quieting down Fuyuki. "Understood, Lady Owari. The others eagerly await your return to Kyūden. Their blood is restless, so they sent me in their place to track you down."

"Calm yourself, Fuyuki." Owari tapped her on the head, causing the woman to rise. "Akito shall protect Rena, should something go wrong. We have nothing to worry about."

"You awakened the Blackened Beast?"

A single, morbid, lengthily glare from Owari once more quieted Fuyuki. "I don't see how it's any of your business, but yes. Don't worry- His power instilled in you is under my control, not his. His taste for vengeance will lead Rena straight to us. He still can't control the pieces I took from him." As Owari began to walk, her generals skipped and hopped by her side, Fuyuki following behind her. "Hmmm… how about we stop for a snack on the way home?"

"Oh, yes, Lady Owari!"

"Please, Lady Owari!"

"It's time to return to Kyūden." She turned, hearing the sound of distant fighting, but she could feel her blood pulse through her. More importantly, she knew where Rena was- her blood called out to her true mother, broadcasting her location. "Our beloved Rena will return home soon, after all. It must be presentable…"

Gaara's sand shield was cracking further, hatred burning viciously in his eyes as he stared at Sasuke. Everything… everything! He couldn't hold it back any longer… however, someone… or something else had different ideas. A scream ripped through the air as he grabbed his head, staggering around. His sand shield cracked rapidly, at a rate that it had been withholding before, but nobody was attacking him. Why was it breaking!?

"Gaara!" Temari and Rena called out in unison, only to glance at each other again. It was Temari that spoke again, however, her eyes filled with the most terror Rena had ever seen from her. "Oh, no…"

"What's going on, Temari?!" Rena pleaded, sick of not knowing.

"It's happening…!" Temari was shaking. The bravest person she knew, and she was shaking. She could probably take on anyone in the Leaf without a single fear. "Any second now and he's going to let that thing out! No, not now… not now!" Her voice echoed around the area as she called out to him, desperate. "No, Gaara, remember our mission!"

Gaara ignored her. He was no longer interested in Temari, nor was he paying any mind to Rena. It was as if she was invisible. "We're so alike, Sasuke Uchiha." He began, his eyes exposing his mindset. "I don't have friends as you have, but that's not what makes you strong." Rena clutched the fabric above her heart, the painful thrum becoming too much. He was alone. He was so alone and nothing she did could reach him. In the end, she hadn't even tried as much as she possibly could. She never got in his way. Did she… really have what it took to help him? He was speaking so calmly. As if everything meant nothing to him. "It's your purpose that does it. In that way, we're alike… You!" His voice became huskier, a harsh yell erupting from him, causing Rena to jump. Gaara's bloodlust was so thick it was almost visible, sinking into the people around him and paralyzing her legs. It was so much worse than the last time she'd experienced it. "But mine is the stronger purpose, for only by destroying you and all your represent can I prove that I exist! Only by killing you, can I know what life is!"

Who... was this person before her? Was it the Gaara she knew…? Or was Gaara… dead? She, too, began to tremble, unable to keep herself together. Was she really any better than the Hidden Sand? All that time she spent with him and she still… she still couldn't get rid of this damned stupid fear! But she knew it wasn't death she was afraid of. If it wasn't death, what was it? Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she say anything!?

"You…" He began again, his pause complete. His tone got aggressively violent, "You! You are my…" A single heartbeat passed in between the two. Absolute silence pierced even the heavens. Gaara let out another scream, holding his head as he collapsed to his knees. "Aaaaaaaaagh!"

Rena desperately wanted to run to him, but she knew he couldn't be reasoned with in this state. She didn't know if she would be of any use or not, but if she interfered now…

_"If I were to do whatever I want, right here, right now, even if that meant killing everyone else we know.. Would you get in my way?"_

_"I'd always side with you, Gaara. Regardless of anything, no matter what you do. It might be wrong… it might not be moral… I might not look like a strong, independent woman in the eyes of others… but I think that my love and my purpose runs deeper than all of those things. If it means I can stand by your side, why should I let pride get involved? Who cares if nobody else sees me as strong!? I know I am!"_

Her fists curled, her teeth grinding together. She couldn't interfere. She promised him. Even though it made her suffer, even if it made her feel like she was going insane, tears of sorrow dripped from her eyes as she watched the person she loved suffer. If she couldn't save him, then she'd suffer with him. If she could even just bear a fraction of his suffering, that would be enough…!

"You are my prey!" Gaara screeched, viciously, his gourd erupting into sand and covering half of his body. An arm extended from the now-broken gourd, "My prey!" He screamed again, over, and over, and over, twisting his head from side to side.

She could feel all of the hope drained from her body. He was gone… all gone…

And it was as if something inside her shifted. Time had stopped, momentarily, this being a mere space in time… nonmoving, still. If she looked closer, things hadn't really stopped. They'd just slowed down to the point where every action felt like it would take a year to complete.

"What did I tell you?" She gasped, her head turning, meeting the dead eyes of the woman in the mask. "That… if you kept locked in the past, you'd become a victim of it." She could feel a sharp pain in her side- a kunai stuck out between her ribs, purple blooming from the wound. Rena could feel herself slipping, falling from her place beside Temari, deep into nothingness.

"Rena!" Temari called to her as she collapsed. She tried shaking her awake, but it seemed like it was impossible to get through to her. Her eyes widened. "Wh… how…?" She watched as her wound festered, opening further, purple spreading through her clothes. Temari ripped them open, the wound looking similarly close as if she'd been pierced by a kunai.

Deep within the dream, Rena could feel herself being pulled down, hands all over her body as the masked woman followed her into despair. "I will take back what's mine, initiate." Shuriken formed in her hands and she whipped them at the girl, who was nothing less than defenceless. She closed her eyes, preparing for the impact, but the ring of metal against metal was all that clashed. "Wh…. you?! What's your play here?! You've never done this… You've never interfered!"

She could hear the sound of footsteps as the hands pulling her down let go. She hit cold, hard, metal and the sound of metal bending and shifting caused her to open her eyes.

**"Our interests are none of your business."** The voice was familiar, yet not. **"But, you made a mistake in coming to no-man's-land… at least in your domain, you were protected, but now…"**

"Bring it, kitty cat." As Rena raised her head, she realized she was in what could only be explained as a birdcage. She slammed her hands against the bars, looking into the darkness, trying to understand what was happening. She could hear them clashing, their bodies moving so fast that she couldn't even comprehend what they looked like. Fire suddenly filled her vision and she stepped back from the bars just in time. Beyond the lick of the flames, she could see two figures duking it out- one resembling a human shape, and the other just barely human. "I won't let you take what's mine!"

**"Do you truly think such an insignificant insect as yourself can stand your ground against me? Remember who made you, child."**

"You're nothing but an old relic!" The woman in the mask snarled in response. Rena heard the clanking of chains as she watched a storm of them rise up, separating her eyesight from view once more. "You can't do this… you won't do this!"

**"Begone, back to your hovel, child."** All was quiet, but she could see red, glowing eyes in the darkness. She heard more footsteps as whatever the thing was that had won circled her. **"I finally… no!"**


	19. 19 - And He Had Rena

Rena snapped up, gasping, wincing at the kunai wound. Gaara and Sasuke were still battling. Temari hovered over Rena, worried, as the two watched him go on the offensive, declaring his love of wanting to crush Sasuke.

Temari, on the other hand, was beyond done with the situation. This was slaughter… the Uchiha didn't even stand a chance…! This was what she had feared. Needless death. War. It didn't matter… not when a monster like this would be exposed to the world, and for what? Just because the Hidden Leaf took their work from them?! This was a foolish pursuit! If anything, they should be rioting against their own nation!

Gaara had been attacking Sasuke the entire time she'd been out. "You're finished!" He declared, slamming one of his limbs into Sasuke, sending the boy flying to the point where even the trees couldn't stop him. He slammed through several branches until he finally hit the trunk of a tree, leaving a brazen impact mark. As Gaara leaped to a branch, his deep laugh was more gravelly than she had ever heard it. In fact… she didn't think she'd ever heard him laugh beyond when they were children. Was his mood getting worse… or better?

Gaara was her hope. Even if it wasn't right, he was her everything. Hope, kindness, will to live… all of it. She clasped her hands together, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, praying desperately that Gaara found some sort of peace.

**Hope doesn't exist.**

Her eyes shot open. That voice… It was definitely that monster's, the one that had fought off the masked woman. "Wha…?" She didn't know how to respond, but his voice echoed inside her head. But weren't those just… dreams?

**Take a close look at the vessel you enclose your hope in.**

"Is that it…?!" Gaara lurched forwards, his smile stretching across his face like he held the answer to some hilarious joke. "That was the best demonstration you could make of the value of your existence?!" Differing from his expression, his voice held rage and disappointment. "That's just pathetic, truly." Perhaps not anger, but instead… mocking? "Your hatred… it's weak! You're far too soft and forgiving! The greater the hunger for revenge, the greater the hate! And it's the power of hate that gives you the strength to kill…!"

She had never seen him like this. It felt like her heart was breaking again. She had thought the Hidden Sand had broken him, but not this badly. He seemed… so far away. Her hand raised as she reached out to him, splaying her fingers out, his face captured between her thumb and index fingers.

**Gaara is a monster, child. Could you, upon looking at him, truly say hope exists?**

"Your hate is weaker than mine, far weaker!"

**Can't you see? He's obsessed with death, hatred, and strength. There is no room for you in his blackened, charred heart. This world made him like this.**

"You know what that means, don't you?!"

**Can't you feel his pain, his rage? Don't you want to make the injustices done to him right? Don't you want to destroy everything?**

She didn't know. She didn't know if that was what she wanted! But… "Just shut up!" Sasuke yelled in reply, clearly getting off-put by Gaara's behaviour. Saliva poured from his mouth as he laughed maniacally.

"Heh."

**What…? Seeing your beloved like this… doesn't it make you want to destroy it all?!**

"It means you can't win. You are weaker than I am!"

As she watched him, she realized something. Despite how disgusting the drool might be falling from his mouth, despite how scary his behaviour might be… her face flushed as she thought of him. Her heart pounded whenever she heard him speak, even louder than the fear he extracted made it. If she could see a guy act the way Gaara had and still love him the way she loved Gaara… "He's going to be the Gaara I once knew again. No use in trying to destroy everything before he comes to his senses." Beyond all of the darkness… she believed Gaara was still in there!

Temari stared at her like she was crazy, smiling at her brother's psychotic break, still believing that Gaara was anything like he had been as a child. Temari herself was in disbelief. The way that Rena looked at Gaara... It was just impossible. No… even since they were children, she had seen him differently….

**…**

The voice faded into nothingness, retracting into darkness, waiting for a moment when she would show emotional weakness again…

Ikari and the others dashed through the streets of Konoha, trying to stick to alleyways. Ikari's ears flicked as he heard rapid footsteps. "Duck!" He hissed, body flickering behind a large piece of wood, while Ikari decided to take the above route, hiding on top of the roof. However, the footsteps slowed down a great deal as someone turned into the alleyway.

Suno shot out from behind the wood, brandishing his kunai, while Ikari dropped from above. Their eyes widened as Suno stopped his course, jumping back- Ikari bounced off of a wall and landed behind the person. "Is this a new greeting?"

"You dealt with her that quickly?!"

"She will be no issue to us any longer." Tsukiyomi nodded. "We need to get out of Konoha and find Lady Rena."

"There's not a single wound on you..."

"A genin cannot harm me."

Ikari tried to make sense of it. Was Tsukiyomi stronger than she let on? No… he'd never really seen any of her abilities, nor did he know anything about her. She was one huge mystery… although he'd seen what Suno could do, dispatching someone Rena struggled so greatly with in mere minutes even though she'd been injured… a lucky fluke? Something told him otherwise. This was someone he had to watch out for. Still, it had been all clear. For the most part, there was nobody in their way. "It should be a clean break from here. Let's go!" The others nodded, body-flickering away.

The battle had finally exceeded any and all expectations anyone had of it. Rena watched as a cloud of dust dispersed, her eyes widened. Thoughts of the past consumed her, every pattern on the body of the monster Gaara had become a memory. All those years ago.. The thing she last saw before Gaara was gone forever…

The Shukaku.

"Well, what do you know?! I never thought you would bring this out of me!" Sand swarmed over Naruto, consuming the boy from head to toe. "This is the end for you… Sand buria-"

"Summoning Jutsu!" Large smoke cloud… large toad.

Delayed reaction.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Rena was beginning to freak out. It was a battle of the giants! No way! But it was so impressive that Gaara could control the Shukaku the way he did…

"Naruto Uzumaki…" Gaara's voice projected itself over the forest, powerful and both terrifying to anyone who heard of it, along with his extremely creepy laugh- it was enough to give anyone goosebumps. "You really are good at amusing me."

The toad withdrew a sword, after seemingly having a conversation she couldn't hear all too well. "That worthless little flunkie!" The toad yelled, looking rather random to her. He poised to strike and then began to run. A toad, running. It was so ridiculously funny to look at. "Hang on tight, Small Fry!"

Rena hadn't noticed the sand collectively swarming around her ankles, slowly creeping up the length of her legs, barely touching them as she watched the exchange between Shukaku and Naruto; Gaara's breathing, inside the Shukaku, had grown even deeper. Although his attention was consumed by his opponent, he did not forget. It drove him insane, in fact, that he did not forget.

That she was in his mind when she wasn't supposed to be. That he was thinking of ways to stop her from getting caught up in this fight. As the Shukaku's arm was ripped off, the impact of the sand dropping to the ground almost blowing everyone away, Rena stared up at it, hoping that Gaara… would win. Her hair blew around her, viciously whipping around her face, as she stood strong, covering her eyes with her arms.

"Interesting…" Gaara's voice boomed, "Interesting! Not bad, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Rena broke out into laughter. Gaara kept using people's full names to address them, but why? He really was the formal type, even when he was going completely crazy. He was also extremely polite, mostly keeping to himself. Those were two really good points about him, weren't they? Even despite his shortcomings, he still had… things that made him beautiful!

"Rena…!" Temari said, grabbing her arm, trying to pull her away. Was she going crazy, too?! "We have to go! He's going to do something bad!" However…

"Where do you think you're going?" The Shukaku's eyes snapped to Rena, it's head turning to look directly at them. Temari gasped as Rena tried to hang onto her, the storm of sand closing around her and restricting her arms and legs, causing Temari's grip to fall away. Rena floated upwards, struggling with all of her might. Was this where she died?

"Temari! Find Kankuro! Get out of here, go!" She said she wouldn't interfere, but Temari didn't have to be a casualty too. Temari reached out to her, tears pooling in her eyes. Not another one… no. Not again! She didn't want to lose Rena to the Shukaku again…! "Temari… GO!" She yelled as the Shukaku opened up and she was consumed by the sand, masked from view. Temari clenched her hands, stifling a sob as she turned and body flickered away. If she could save Rena in time… if she could…!

Gaara slid out of his sand, more than ready to fight. He wouldn't accidentally kill Rena if she were within his sand and the Shukaku would barely notice a cavern. She couldn't escape and run away if he had her imprisoned… so she would still be by his side in the end. He could do anything now, without holding back, now that what was his was safely stored away. It was time. "To thank you for entertaining me here today, I'll show you the true power of the manifestation of the sand!"

Things were getting rough for Rena as she clawed at the sand, claustrophobia setting in. She was trapped in a completely sealed spherical section of sand, unable to break the hardened walls. In the middle of the Shukaku, she could hear nothing, see nothing- it was all dark, but she could feel the walls closing in. She let out a choked sob. No, not like this- not here. The air in the sand was limited, as well- it was clear she wouldn't survive for long since Gaara didn't seem to take breathability into account.

**Fuhahaha… it seems the Shukaku is inviting us to sleep. What an honor…! Let's play with the nightmare of the Jinchuriki you so cherish...**

In her panic, she couldn't stop herself. She had no control over her limbs as they raised upwards, hand signs she didn't know being performed by her own hands. Her mouth began to speak, but they weren't her words. "Secret Forbidden Jutsu… Shared Living Nightmare!" This voice… was it really just her imagination?! Was it really just her going insane?!

A sudden burst of fatigue hit her as she dropped to the ground, raking her claws through the sand. No… It couldn't end like this… the last thing she wanted to see was at least Gaara… she reached out, but her eyes blurred as the Voice spoke to her once more.

**You're going to share a dream with the one you deem precious to you. The difference is… to you it is deadly. Beware, Rena Hikari... Whatever damage you might receive in the dream, it will reflect itself back on your physical body!**

She swore she saw a man standing over her, eyes glowing red and the smile of sadistic enjoyment painting itself in her mind…

Her body fell to sleep and the Voice waited patiently. Would she awaken..? Or would she find her tomb, as many others before her had, within the walls of sand that were a mix of Gaara's and the Shukaku's? It was worth using their abilities and power over her to stir up trouble… things were getting fun. No matter what they must sacrifice, this was worth their time.

And each time she suffered… they devoured it all, becoming stronger… and biding their time.

After all, it was the sins of the humans that had truly created them, all of the negative feelings they held. They would feed off of the suffering of their seal, whether or not the seal agreed. Their end-goal… was to take the will from their vessel…!

Rena's awareness of her situation hadn't shifted. She blinked, looking to the left, then the right. She felt soft sand in between her toes. Was she… awake? If she wasn't, then this was truly a realistic dream. As she walked forward, she almost tripped over the garb she was wearing. She recognized it… but that was impossible! She flung her arms out in front of her, small hands outstretched, her head flicking to a nearby shop window. No way…!

However, something caught her eye, causing her to turn around. A young boy, with a bright smile, carrying a bag of medicine as he hurried down the road. She followed him, only to watch him get the door shut in his face. The medicine dropped to the ground as his fists curled.

"Gaara?" She called, causing the boy to whip around. The smile that she had known was gone, the current Gaara's expressions perverting the face of the child she used to know.

"You… you've never shown up in my nightmares before." Sand swarmed around his feet and she could tell it was about to get bad. There was no other word for the sinking feeling in her chest. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!" He screamed, launching his sand at her. As a child, his sand was much slower than as he grew. It still rushed toward her and her, not used to her childlike body, tripped rushing away from it. It hit her leg, causing a vicious, sharp wound to form. "Why did you run away from me like everyone else?!" He began to control his sand using his hands, doubling its speed and precision.

As she rushed away, ignoring the pain of the cut in her leg, he seemed to follow her, all of his hatred centred on one spot. Damn it, she couldn't shake him! But then, she remembered; this was a shared living nightmare. Who said the nightmare was his alone?! She shifted course, skidding around a corner and making a mad dash for her own nightmare.

"You can't run away from me forever!" He snapped, only slowing down to a stop as he saw a second Rena atop the building, the first pointing. He slowed down, his head swivelling between the two-

The Rena above was rushing toward something with urgency when suddenly, kunai flew out of nowhere and embedded themselves in the poor child's body. Gaara watched, wide eyes, the anger within him fading away as he saw her injured. He could feel someone come up from behind, their arms wrapping around him. Embracing him. Tears fell from his eyes as suddenly, they were no longer young children, but their current selves. "Gaara... I didn't mean to leave you. I didn't want to leave you."

The person who stood over her body had nothing more than static over his face. It was the same, as always. It was a Shinobi of the Hidden Sand, but at the same time, not. As the Shinobi took her away, Gaara reached out, tears dripping from his face.

"Alone… without you, with you… I feel so alone." Her heart panged in pain as she tightened her grasp around the suffering boy. "It doesn't matter how close you get to me. It doesn't matter how much I want you to be by my side… in the end, my pain consumes me…"

She wanted to protect him from pain and suffering. If only…! If only she hadn't been stolen away… her only desire at this point was Gaara. To be by his side. To be the one watching over him. "Gaara… no matter what, no matter how much your madness consumes you, I love you. I'll stay by your side from now on. So… please don't suffer anymore."

"You've never appeared in my nightmares before…" He stated, hesitantly, his voice soft. "I suppose that makes this a dream…"

Rena was about to reply, but everything was consumed by darkness as she shot up, gasping for breath in a dwindling dark space. She pounded at the walls, screaming. "Let me out! Gaara! Gaaaraaa..." As she was consumed by her lack of oxygen, she slid down the wall, breathing deeply on the floor. Her purple blood began to mix with the sand of the Shukaku as it seeped from her wounds…

Naruto had punched Gaara awake, finally landing a rather appalling blow. Gaara stopped Naruto from approaching any further, his sand surrounding the blonde Genin as he did his best to finish the fight.

"Sand Coffin!"

**So, thou art still alive. But… it is all futile. Nobody can help you. You will die here, regardless of all of the actions you took to prevent it.**

As Gaara and Naruto attempted to conclude their battle above, it was a battle of wills below. Rena had ignored the voice, but it tried again.

**We can save you. Just let us try… no… allow me to grant you my strength.**

The voice was slick, for sure, but it had finally dropped the royal 'we', settling on referring to itself as a single being. Her body was surrounded by a foul, black chakra, one that smelled and felt like the essence of decay. She slapped a hand over her nose and mouth, almost gagging, the room much too small for the scent to waft away on the breeze. Her nails raked through the sand once more as she held herself back from emptying the contents of her stomach. As she shoved the chakra back, trying to do her best to push it out of her system, the voice seemed discontent.

**… I see. I misjudged the situation and struck too quickly. Patience is a virtue, after all…**

"Why are you bothering me?!" She cried, trying to understand just what this monstrosity was.

**It was wrong of me to try this in your current state of mind. My presence is not yet welcome. If you will not give in to me now… then I suppose we must take the hard route instead of the soft one.**

She could feel her body move against her will once more. She fought to keep her arms down, but whatever this being was it was fighting just as hard to make her body move. She couldn't fight against it, not when it put everything it had into controlling her arms. She was weak; she still hadn't regained her chakra from her fight with Kana, not to mention her injuries. "Forbidden Art of the Hikari Clan; Mind Wipe Jutsu!"

The Voice began to selectively wipe memories of its choice, anything pertaining to it or its existence; anything that would make her suspect she wasn't alone in her body. She was not ready to accept her fate, nor him. That would change in time, when she sorely needed power… because power was something he had. It would leave memories of the battle, but she may eventually suspect the gaping holes…

As for him, he had to rest and recoup. Controlling his Host against their will was difficult and chakra-consuming; he'd have to devise another plan and wait for the perfect moment of vulnerability where he was able to strike.

As Rena came to, she could feel the sand underneath her cracking. She gasped as she felt herself falling downwards, a load of sand aimed to drop on top of her. As she made her hand signs, she body flickered away, doing her best to dodge as much sand as she could within split-second flickers that stole away what little chakra she had left.

As she soared through the air, she could catch a sight of Gaara as she flew through the trees. She had to reach him…! To save him from that chasm within, to show him that there was more to the world than just infinite suffering! Even these past days… these past days with him and everyone else were everything she had to hold on to and look to in the future!

Su… Ikari… Tsukiyomi… Suno… Temari… Kankuro… and Gaara...

All of them… there was a path where they could all coexist! That was the future she would fight for, regardless of the promise she made! She wouldn't just stand by and let Gaara suffer on his own anymore!

Man or monster… none of that mattered any longer. Within her eyes burned a fire that had long desired its own ignition, a realization born of watching the one she cherished suffer. He may be more powerful than her, but if he lacked chakra, there was no saving himself. It didn't matter who she had to kill. It didn't matter who she was against, even if it was the entire Hidden Leaf!

Her place was there… by his side!

She heard the sound as the sword disappeared into a cloud of smoke, Gaara and Naruto launching themselves at one another, fists poised to strike true. She doubted Gaara had ever thrown a punch in his life, but there he was summoning the strength to try. She watched as Naruto got a hit on him and sped herself up, pushing herself to the max limit. If he fell, he could die!

She finally reached the place Gaara fell to, but she tripped, her wounds finally catching up with her as she crashed into the ground. She could barely move, let alone crawl through the dirt, the physical exertion she imparted upon herself to get here finally blowing back on her. Her fingers twitched as she desperately reached out her arm to the boy she couldn't reach. She couldn't protect him, no matter how much she desired it. Damn it… if only she could be stronger…! If only she had the power to keep going…!

She paused, watching as Naruto Uzumaki crawled toward Gaara, using only his chin. He had nothing left, but still, he forged his path forwards… "No, stay away!" The fear in Gaara's voice pierced her heart as she flinched from the pain washing over her.

"It's almost unbearable, isn't it?" The kid stopped moving as he began to speak to Gaara. "The feeling of being all alone?" Gaara had stopped struggling, the clearing silent as he took in what Naruto was saying in confusion. "I know that feeling. I've been there, in that dark and lonely place. But now, there are… others. Other people who mean a lot to me." He resumed inching forwards, using every bit of strength he had left in his damaged body. "I care about them more than I do myself, and I won't let anyone hurt them!" His eyes were resolute, full of clarity that Gaara didn't have. "That's why I won't ever give up…! I will stop you, even if I have to kill you!"

If only… I had the strength that kid had. Rena thought, bitterly, wondering how he wasn't down already. How did he still have the strength to move, even if Gaara didn't? Did this mean... Because she couldn't move forward on her own strength, that her love wasn't enough?

"But why…?" Gaara whispered, his face pale as memories flashed through his mind. "Why would you do this for anyone but yourself?"

"Because they saved me from myself!" He responded. "They rescued me from my loneliness! They were the first to accept me for who I am. They're my friends!"

Gaara's head turned to the sky as he recalled the very first person to see beyond the Shukaku.

_"Ahh!" The purple-haired child fell, face down into the dirt, struggling to stand up as she glanced back at the other children. "Oww… why'd you push me, Akkai?"_

_"My mom said that we aren't to play with lowborn pigs like you!" He slammed his foot into her face, his eyes holding nothing but cruelty. "And you play around with that scary freak, Gaara!"_

_"But I… haven't done anything wrong!" She pleaded, but Akkai had no mercy in store for the poor child._

_"You're just like your mother, aren't you!? Trying to get close to the Kazekage and his kids just for the stature and position! Nothing but a damn leech!" The other kids began to chant as well._

_**Leech, leech, leech.**_

_Each word cut deeper as tears began to drip from her eyes. It was all the same. Even though she had some friends, the others were judgemental and hated her for how bold she was towards the children of the Kazekage. Every child knew that it was more trouble than it was worth to actually play with them- only the main prestigious families of Suna dared to try and get close to them, but here a lowborn was, a child with no family behind them and no power politically or otherwise, trying to incur favor from the most powerful family there was!_

_"If you want to see me get really scary… Then keep doing what you're doing!" Akkai's head shot up, fear coursing through his veins… it was Gaara. As he backed away, he turned to his friends, who were already running._

_"It...it's Gaara… run!"_

_The kids cleared out, leaving only Rena and Gaara. Gaara walked up to her, unsure of what to do or say to make it better. "I-I'm sorry. It's my fault… if you weren't friends with me, you could be friends with…"_

_Rena embraced him, her laughter filling the air. Despite the bruise on her face, she was smiling as brightly as she had yesterday and the day before. "Gaara! It's my Gaara!" She squeezed him tighter. "I thought you wouldn't come out to see me…! I've been waiting for so long!" She didn't acknowledge her pain, nor did she complain about the people who kept trampling over her daily. All Gaara could truly say… was that he admired her so much. The girl who was so brave as to put on a smile when she felt so much pain._

"Love…" He said, the clouds in the sky forming, his expression one of finality and peace. "Is that the thing that makes them so strong?"

"Naruto, that's enough." Sasuke had interrupted things and Rena desperately tried to squirm around in the dirt. Would Saasuke hurt Gaara again?! "Look, Sakura is gonna be alright. The sand crumbled away and she's free. This guy's chakra is all used up."

"That's… a relief…" Naruto went quiet, his consciousness faded, but it was clear it wasn't over as Temari and Kankuro appeared in front of Gaara, defending him… and ready to attack.

"That's enough." His voice rang out through the clearing, shocking those who thought he would urge even more of a fight. "It's over." He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted… to fix his past mistakes, before they were unfixable. He only hoped… there was time.

"But, Gaara," Kankuro insisted, as he turned back to see Rena a few feet from him looking pretty banged up. They really did need to pull back; they were in no condition to take on the rest of the Hidden Leaf on their own. "Alright, Gaara." Kankuro supported Gaara, picking him up, as he nodded to Temari to get Rena.

As they moved, leaving the clearing, Temari supported Rena. It was almost impossible for her to walk, she was so fatigued. Not being able to breathe for a bit didn't help that either. Still, it seemed like it wasn't over…

"Temari, Kankuro."

"Hm?" Kankuro asked, sure that Gaara would begin to chastise them for losing or blame them for being weak.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to say in response. He'd never known Gaara to apologize, ever. He thought, before settling on a final answer. "Don't worry about it.."

"Rena…?" He called out to her and she twitched, raising her head to look back at Gaara. She couldn't really speak or move in any wide motion, but he stared into her eyes… and gave her the smile of the boy she had known from childhood, soft and gentle. "I love you."

Her eyes widened, filling with tears as they streamed down her face. All she could do was sob in happiness and relief. She gave him the best smile she could muster, her expression communicating the thing she had been saying since the beginning of the Chuunin exams.

The warm summer breeze blew his hair about. He watched the leaves shift and flutter as they went by, feeling as if that single battle… and everything he'd experienced in the Hidden Sand… had slowly chipped away what he had become in an entire lifetime. That battle… it washed away the walls completely, allowing him to finally…. Take the path he truly wanted.

Things would get better in time. He had Temari and Kankuro.

And he had Rena.


	20. 20 - End Of Prologue

**[PROLOGUE - THE BEGINNING]**

**END**

_"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. Our special game begins now."_

"And so," A woman with a soft, gentle-spoken voice smiled, caressing the flowers of a cherry blossom delicately. "The Konoha Crush comes to an end. The Hidden Sand has failed. How shall they fare in their weakened state, I wonder? How will they face the Daimyo, who they have offended, and who shall the failure be blamed on?"

A pair of shears were all she held as she snipped off a branch, placing it in a vase. "The story is just beginning. Rena walks free, uncaptured, but the threat of her mother is looming- a tale she still has no knowledge of. Her memories of the Voice taken from her, how will she ever find out the truth now? Now that Gaara has finally proclaimed his love, how will she deal with her arranged marriage to Kankuro? Can Gaara repair the mistakes of the past…? Is Ikari's allegiance to Rena a lie? Is he true in his motivations?"

She laughed delicately, her shoulders shaking. Her white hair was strung loosely behind her shoulders as she placed the shears down, entering her small shack and setting a fire under her cooking-pot. "There's still so much left to your story, Rena Hikari. It's so entertaining to watch… forgive me for not intervening. I hope that… without my intervention, you can fix the misdeeds of a past far beyond you and in the process avoid the mistakes my brother and I have made…"

**FIND OUT NEXT IN SEASON ONE...**

**[VOLUME ONE - THE YORU ATTACK.]**

**"I want to become… the Kazekage!"**

**Theme Of Season 1: **

_[Miku-tan] Egoselfish (English Cover). Check it out!_

Gaara, Temari, Kankuro and Rena had successfully escaped the Hidden Leaf. There was nobody coming after them, which meant that either the Hidden Sand had been chased out, or it had been victorious. Temari doubted the latter enough that she didn't quite want to see the damage done when she got home and they were surely going to get a lecture from her father, but seeing Gaara smile as he did when he was a child… it was surely worth those losses.

It had seemed like they ventured far enough to take a rest, so they did so on a well-trodden path to the Hidden Sand. Surely, if they waited here, they'd run into someone returning from the Hidden Leaf and they'd know the results of the battle. Theirs wasn't exactly the best, but nobody had known it would turn out like this.

As Temari tended to Rena, her hands stopped, causing the girl to look at her as she drank from one of the group's waterskins. "What about Su, Tsukiyomi and Suno? How will we explain to Sansa about the switch?" It was true- they had just left them there, but there had been no time to think about it. They weren't a part of the Hidden Sand, not like Rena had been before. It wasn't like Su would be joining them, after all.

"I took care of that. I trust Ikari to get them out of the Hidden Leaf and return them to the Hidden Sand."

"You entrusted them to that guy!?" Kankuro chided as he stepped away from Gaara, who had recovered significantly faster than Rena did. "Come on, don't tell me you did something so ridiculously stupid!"

Rena looked down at the ground, struggling to stand as Temari helped her up. "I believe that Ikari will come through."

"He might share your last name, but he's totally shady! Anyone can see that!"

"Kankuro…" Gaara finally spoke up. There hadn't really been any discussion until now, but his voice reminded Kankuro of his brother telling Rena that he loved her. He wanted to shut it out, but it echoed in his mind. No… Rena was going to be his wife. It had already been decided, by Sansa and everything. He wouldn't just give that up because his brother thought he loved her. Even though being fickle was never a part of Gaara's personality in the first place, there was no guarantee he wouldn't just revert to the way he was before. "Don't bother her. She's hurt."

Rena took a glance at Gaara, slightly uncertain of how to approach him. That was the first time he spoke out in her defence… and in a caring way, as well. As their eyes met, he looked away, seemingly not wanting to catch her gaze. Really… how was she supposed to deal with this new Gaara? It was the smile of before, but he seemed to be quieter… calmer. His child self had always been upbeat and talkative, but gentle and reserved at the same time. She'd love him no matter what, but what if… she said something wrong…? What if he became who he was, ensnared in suffering, like before? It was new… terrifying… and exciting. Purple spread across her cheeks.

"Ah?! Do you have a fever?!" Kankuro rushed up to her, feeling her forehead. "No! You can't be sick or anything, right?!"

"Relax, Kankuro." Temari was reaching her limit with her brother. He was always so over the top. "You shoving your hand in her face doesn't help her." She slapped it away and he drew back, the expression on his face like that of a hurt puppy. Rena kind of felt bad for him- he tended to lack all of the luck in the world.

"It's alright, Kankuro, I'm not sick." A gentle smile crossed her face as she took his hand in hers, patting it. He blushed.

Gaara watched the exchange. She had always been kind, but feeding into Kankuro's affection for her would simply end in every other way; marriage. It still stung, even now. He just didn't want to admit it to himself back then, he didn't want to tell her he loved her and as a result, he lost her before anything even started. His declaration of love… would it last? He wasn't really experienced in love. He doubted he could compete against anyone, including Kankuro, despite his tendency to be a moron.

As the three recovered their energy for the last burst of the trip, they heard footsteps… and loud talking.

"You're a moron!"

"No, you're a moron!"

"No, you're both morons!" As the party of four came into view, Su turned around, finally having enough of Suno and Ikari's constant bickering. She turned, in a completely opposite direction to either of them, staring at a pair of trees and pointing. "You've been morons! You'll stay morons! Shut up!"

The party went silent, but Tsukiyomi leaned her head to the side, seemingly eager to participate. "No, I am a moron."

That was enough for everyone in the vicinity to burst out into laughter, save for Tsukiyomi and Gaara. Even Su simply giggled slightly.

"Says you, you can't even turn and look at us properly, you have to accuse the trees! No matter how many drugs you're on, Su… they've had to have worn off by now…! Unless you keep taking drugs as we go… where are you hiding them, Su?! You can't have an addiction!" As Suno snatched her bag, she did her best to retrieve it. Suno kept it away from her but as he did, Tsukiyomi's foot shot out, tripping him and causing him to fall on Su with an oof.

"Tsukiyomi!" Rena had never been gladder to see a friendly face as she rushed to hug her friend. Tsukiyomi's face, as Rena got closer to he, had an outstretched smile, a look of genuine, gentle admiration in her eyes. As they embraced one another, Rena let her head rest on Tsukiyomi's chest. "You're safe!"

"Hey! What about me?!" Suno snapped, sitting upright. "You're happy about me being safe too, right, Master?" The look of absolute contempt on Rena's face was enough to make him shrink back, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "What did I do wrong…?"

She didn't reply, walking away from Suno. The party of four had become a party of eight. As everyone met up with one another, exchanging greetings and more, Temari was the first to speak. "So… is this where we part?"

A silence hung over the group. They really would be expected to split up and go their separate ways, wouldn't they? The mere implications left a heavy silence hanging over the group. "I don't have a village, nor do I have anywhere to go. I pledged myself to Rena. I follow her." Ikari spoke first, gaining Kankuro's ire.

"We can't guarantee you won't get bullied!" He snapped, waving his arms about like a crazy man.

"You can't guarantee I won't be the one doing the bullying, you mean?" Damn, of course he wouldn't get bullied… with his fight with Su, he was more than likely the one to be pushing others around. Kankuro had to be mindful of this guy…

"I cannot return to my village…" Su replied, her voice quiet, the slight melody of it carrying through the area. "I, too, shall follow Rena." Not to mention… although her face was blank, she couldn't deny Kankuro's kind voice. It sort of made her feel strangely bubbly inside and she didn't want to give that up just yet, either.

Temari sighed, rubbing her forehead with her palm. "I guess… it can't be helped, then, can it? Rena, do you pick up strays wherever you go?" Rena shrugged, giving Temari an honest apology smile. "You'll probably be interrogated ruthlessly by the Black Ops. Are you both prepared for that?"

"A little bit of torture can't scare me." Ikari rolled his eyes, walking past Temari. "I have nothing to hide."

"You'll probably be vilified for abandoning your villages. Are you prepared for Suna nobility to look down on you?"

"My…" Su began, but she abruptly cut off that thought. "I'm prepared." She settled on the next best thing, knowing that nobody's opinion would hold her back from following the one she considered precious to her. She still felt the burden of guilt from failing the Chuunin Exams, to which she felt the growing need to apologize for. She approached Rena, her expression one of sadness as she grabbed onto the girl's hand. "I'm… sorry for failing you ...!" She hoped that Rena would still allow her to follow in her footsteps.

A hand cupped her cheek. Rena stared at Su, before a smile broke across her voice, which was lighthearted and full of what Su could only assume what people attributed the sun to. What had the word been? That was right… sunshine. "It's alright! Although you didn't win, you still fought the hardest you can and I think giving it your all is much cooler than just succeeding. Sansa always said that challenge paved the path to improvement!"

"Damn straight I did." Sansa stepped out from behind a tree, not a scratch on her. Baki stepped away from the other side, crossing his arms, his face sullen. Temari and Kankuro stood up, fast, eagerly waiting for information about the Konoha Crush. Gaara listened in, his eyes moving in conjunction with an ant crawling across the ground. Seeing them listen for the results, Sansa sighed. "The Hidden Sand failed."

"What?!" Temari knew that it had been a gamble- but this? The blowback was going to hit the Hidden Sand, fast and hard. "But...how?"

"Orochimaru retreated due to an injury. The Konoha forces received powerful reinforcements beyond a mere Sand nin's capabilities to fight. The Hidden Sound followed him. There was no choice other than to give up on the desired outcome."

"Cut our losses and run, huh?" Kankuro's fists tightened. If only he'd been stronger...No, there was no time to regret the past. He'd have to get stronger now.

"If we had the support of those still in the academy…"

"Baki." Sansa's eyes narrowed as she shot a pointed glance at him. "Those students are part of the elite and those lucky enough for a recommendation from the Kazekage himself. They are Sunagakure's future. We couldn't have them die to something like this- some needed to stay behind. Besides, if a Jonin couldn't defeat them, what makes you think a Genin could?"

"The academy…?" Rena piped up, curiosity taking over her. A place to learn more techniques?

Sansa turned to her daughter, sighing, shaking her head. "You won't be allowed in, Rena. It's only for the nobility and those the Kazekage himself recognized."

"Then I'll just get the Kazekage to recognize me!"

The silence after that statement was unnerving as Sansa looked away. Temari took a step forward. "What…? What's wrong? I've never seen you go so silent…"

Kankuro was alarmed, as well. "Did something happen to our father?"

Sansa rubbed the back of her head, before taking the time to glance at Baki. He nodded. "Well… We thought your father had come to Konoha for the Chuunin Exams…"

"Thought? What do you mean, thought?"

"Orochimaru revealed himself as Lord Kazekage… Currently, even I don't know where Rasa is."

"Impossible!" Kankuro snarled, walking up to Sansa. "You have to know where our father is! You're the head of the Black Ops! You can't just-"

"Kankuro!" Baki said sharply as Kankuro had placed his hands on her shirt, pulling her closer as he glared at her. "That's enough. We're in the presence of outsiders." Baki placed a hand on Kankuro's shoulder as the boy loosened his grip on Sansa, the worry on his face apparent.

"Rena… and now my father… what are we going to do about-" Fear pierced through his body as Sansa's expression changed. He had almost made the mistake of revealing the secret Rena was not supposed to know and her face alone was giving him a warning. If he spoke another word, he'd regret it. It didn't matter if he was the eldest son of the Kazekage or not. "N-Nevermind." He backed away, but not before Sansa addressed him… and seemingly, the rest who knew the secrets Rena held.

"We'll speak about this later. For now, we need to get back to the Hidden Sand. We're still in the border of the Land of Fire, something I'm sure I don't have to tell you is dangerous. If they decide to come after us… we may lack the ability to fend them off."

Everyone took a moment to process this information. The loss was rather difficult and it would certainly reflect badly… but Temari knew a deeper truth, one she was sure Baki and Sansa would understand. Their failure would be attributed to Gaara not following the plan… and them for not enforcing it.

The party began to walk, but Sansa stopped, her eyes shifting to the Tsukiyomi and Su. "So, when are you planning on telling me that you switched the one you came with to another participant?"

Rena froze. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, really?" She crossed her arms, pacing back and forth in front of Su and Tsukiyomi. "Tsukiyomi?"

"Yes?" Su and Tsukiyomi said at the same time, only for Su to look at Tsukiyomi, who had no knowledge of whether she was doing something wrong or not. Sansa took her time to turn to Rena, raising her eyebrows as if to say, _'Got an explanation for this, then?'_

"Tsukiyomi got injured and Su…" Rena wasn't really sure what to say. "Well, she got injured saving Su." Temari and Kankuro hadn't heard this part before. "We didn't really mean for it to happen, but there was a squad of Genin in our path and they were being attacked by this much older man…"

"So you attacked the man?"

"Y-Yeah… at first, it looked like we were about to lose. He was really strong, but Tsukiyomi… she…"

"You're a fool." Sansa's sharp words bit into Rena; the girl winced before her enraged mother. "Letting a shinobi of another nation fight for the Hidden Sand?! Attacking someone whose business you don't know?! What if his village sanctioned that attack? What if you just started a war?"

"I'm sorry…"

"All I want is for you to think before you act! This world is a hard place, with harsh consequences! You can't just live in a dream, pretending like the rules don't apply to you!" She gestured to Tsukiyomi. "I was in the middle of getting her citizenship in Suna. Rena, our people were watching those exams! If I present Tsukiyomi to them, they're going to wonder why the hell Su was in her place!"

"But… her teammates were dying… I couldn't just let her be…!"

Sansa sighed, pinching her nose between her forefinger and her thumb. "No more words from you, do you understand me? No more trouble, either. Whatever I ask of you, no matter what it is, you will complete the task quietly. It doesn't matter if you don't like it or don't want it. You have to learn that even though I am harsh on you, it is simply because I care enough to be."

"Yes… Sansa."

"From now on, you are no longer a shinobi."

"What?!" Rena's eyes widened in despair. "But- you can't!"

"I can and I will. You will not be endangering yourself. You don't even have a proper education. You should focus more on honing the skills of a housewife; you'll be married to Kankuro in three months, as I'm sure you've been told. Your only duty to this village now is to produce an heir for the next Kazekage!"

Rena wanted to argue, but she couldn't. She knew her mother had more power than her. Even though she had done so well in the Chuunin Exams, even though she had fought her very best…! Still, Sansa didn't want her to become the shinobi she knew she could be! "I hate you, Sansa!" Rena snapped, turning around, rage in her eyes as she body flickered away. Kankuro reached out to her and Sansa nodded for him to go ahead along with her. As Gaara stood, Sansa glared at him.

"As for you… your contact with my daughter ends here. You are to be nothing more than an estranged brother-in-law. If you care about my daughter, if you've ever cared about her, you, more than anyone else, should know that being involved with you… will be the end of her." Her harsh words hurt, more than anything else, but he was realizing- such was true. If he got any more involved with her than he already was, his future was unsteady. Unstable. Kankuro was next in line for Kazekage, even though he wanted to become a pillar of his village. His path was going to be lined with pain, suffering and enduring the treatment the others in his village gave him. If Rena could have any kind of stability… if Rena could just live the rest of her life smiling… he'd never look at another. He'd simply do what he could to improve her life, even if that meant pairing her with someone else.

Even if it meant watching the person he loved from a distance.

His head turned to the direction she went in, sweet sorrow filling him, yearning and suffering being experienced all in one. This exquisite feeling… the one he had been shutting out… was one he had not missed. But he could not harm her the way he had during the Chuunin Exams. He'd never make her cry again.

Tsukiyomi, Suno, Su, and Ikari passed him by, all of them but Ikari looking rather sullen. Ikari was impossible to read, but Sansa slammed her hand on his shoulder. "And you… I promised you something, didn't I?"

It was like a flash as Ikari's blood burst from his side, forming a shield as the kunai Sansa had tried to impale him with failed to connect. She jumped back, making her hand signs as the others suddenly backed up, shocked. Even Baki didn't know what to do in this case. Ikari's blood circulated around him as he moved his arms, a delicate dance of black. "Attacking a mere Genin? How shameful of you. I've done nothing to antagonize you."

"Your presence antagonizes me."

"Is that a good enough reason to threaten my life?"

"Wait." Tsukiyomi stepped up, despite Suno trying to pull her back. She stepped in between the two. "I see no need for this conflict."

"Out of the way. If you think I won't cut down an outsider, you're wrong." It was true; there was nothing left of Sansa but killing intent now that Rena had left them. In fact, that might have been her true intention all along. Temari, on the other hand, was concerned. Sansa had the eye and semi-support of most of the council, even if she didn't agree with sending assassins after Gaara. Despite her lowborn outsider status previously, she had proved herself to the Hidden Sand. Not to mention, the place beside him Rasa had saved her and Baki. If Sansa wanted something to happen, it was sure to happen within reason.

"Please cease and desist. This Genin assisted us in escaping the Hidden Leaf."

"Why should I care about what a Genin does to help outsiders?"

"Because, although he could have cut his losses and not gotten involved… he did so, after pledging his services to our Master. Therefore, to me, he is an integral part in protecting her." Her eyelids came down, almost as if she looked bored. "And therefore… he is an asset. And a threatened asset isn't a good idea."

"Woah, Tsukiyomi, you're seriously not thinking of fighting her?!" Suno chimed in, only for Tsukiyomi to glance at him. "Nope. No way. I'm not joining in on this! Stop looking at me like that, I know our purpose…! Hey…! I told you to stop… ugh… fine." Suno begrudgingly stepped beside Tsukiyomi, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, does this really have to happen? You sure you can't just come to an agreement or part ways or something?"

"Sansa." This time it was Baki who spoke up. "Although I understand your reservations, we have more important things to do in the Hidden Sand." Sansa tch'd, spinning her kunai as she dropped it back into her pouch, speed walking past them.

"As much as I hate to cut this interaction short, Baki is correct. There are more pressing matters… but don't think this is over." Her glare caused chills to run down Ikari's spine. Of course, she had served the Blood Empress. Someone so prone to violence and bloodshed… someone who would even kill a child simply because she felt antagonized by them… Sansa Hikari was definitely someone to be wary of. As she body flickered away, Gaara followed, with the rest slowly ebbing away into a rush back to the Hidden Sand.

As they approached the Hidden Sand, the group finally slowed down. Rena was charging ahead, her anger still seething. She slowed, however, when she saw a slew of ANBU and an old woman. She didn't recognize her in the slightest.

"Lady Merui, to what do we owe this pleasure of you meeting us at the gates?" Baki asked, as polite as could be. Sansa lacked respect so, around officials, he was usually the one doing the talking.

"ANBU business." The old woman curtly replied. "Are you Rena Hikari?" She asked, clearly trying to get to the point. Rena glanced around, but for some reason, she felt like this wasn't a good thing.

"I am… yeah."

"Detain her."

"Yes, Lady Merui!"

As the ANBU advanced, both Temari and Kankuro attempted to move to stop them.

"Stop!" Sansa snapped, causing the ANBU to pause. They looked between Merui and Sansa, but they didn't know who to obey.

"Are you halting ANBU operations, Sansa? No, more importantly, are you defying the absolute order of the Elder Council?" Merui looked as if she had stepped in something nasty as she addressed Sansa, despite their similar level of control over the ANBU.

"Absolute? As far as I know, you have no power unless there is no Kazekage." Sansa paused. "And as far as I know, we still have one."

"The report of the events in the Hidden Leaf has come to light. The Hidden Sand has declared a state of emergency. In this trying time, while we search for our beloved Kazekage, I am afraid that the Elder Council shall take his place to make sure Suna runs smoothly."

Bullshit. Sansa knew that wasn't the case. The Elder Council held many snakes, almost all of them bending to Merui's will. She was, after all, the wife of the head of the Hebidoku Family. The fact either of these fossils hadn't kicked the bucket yet made Sansa's life hard, especially when they were snakes out to conquer Suna for their own purposes. "On what charge are you detaining my daughter in the light of day using our Black Ops? Don't you think this is a little... public?"

"Rena Hikari is found suspicious of being involved in the disappearance of the Kazekage and complying with Orochimaru to conspire against the Hidden Sand. When we interrogate her and find her guilty, she will be… eliminated."

"That's impossible!" Kankuro yelled, stepping in front of Sansa. "You can't!"

"Esteemed oldest son of the Lord Kazekage, please understand. We are doing this for you, and by extension, the village's future."

"Our father would never allow this!" Temari pitched in, erecting a glare from the elder.

"Well, it's unfortunate that your father isn't here, then." It was an innocent statement to anyone but the people here now. She was essentially telling them that they could do nothing. As much as the Kazekage's children might wish it to be true, they have far less sway than a member of the Elder Council. As long as they remain respected, there are no issues. Tsukiyomi stepped up, more than ready to fight, but Suno pulled her back and whispered something to her. She went docile, staring off into the distance. "Take her away."

The ANBU body flickered, taking Rena with them. Merui's reign of terror wasn't over yet, though, as the party moved forward to rush into the Hidden Sand. "Stop." She rose her hand. "As of this moment, effective immediately, there are no outsiders to be entering or leaving the Hidden Sand while we investigate further. Elder Council's decree." Sansa wished she could punch that smug smirk off of Merui's face, but she had to bide her time.

"Baki, go and find out more details. Attempt to get her a fair trial." He nodded, vanishing into thin air. "I'll see what I can do on my side. Kids… stay out of trouble." As they walked forward, Sansa passed Temari. "It's been so long since you returned to the Hidden Sand, Temari. Why don't you explore the lily gardens by the outer eastern wall?" Temari wasn't really sure what Sansa meant by that, but surely she had an actual reason for saying so. She watched as Sansa body-flickered away, simply for Merui to turn around and walk into the Village.

Temari half-turned to the others as she watched Merui walk away. When she had finally disappeared beyond what they could see, she spoke up. "Let's go to the eastern outer wall."

"But, Rena's in danger! The hell are we doing looking at lilies?" Kankuro snapped.

"Although I hate to agree with Kankuro, I agree with Kankuro. We shouldn't be wasting our time on flowers." Ikari clearly had reservations about supporting a single thought that came from Kankuro as he bitterly reinforced that himself.

"Shut up and do what I say, Kankuro. Ikari, you can follow or not, but I intend on helping Rena with or without your help."

Who knew that they'd have prisons within the walls? Rena struggled against her restraints, trying to loosen them up from cutting off her circulation. They had been unnecessarily rough with her, to boot. This was so awful… to think, she had so many things in her head that needed to be addressed, including the fact she wasn't allowed to be a shinobi, and she was facing death. She heard footsteps as her head perked up; was it someone she knew?

No, it was a random man she had never seen before. As she stared at him, he spat in her face; she could feel it sliding down her cheek as she gave the man a glare, which he returned. "Betraying scum like you won't be protected by anyone."

"I didn't betray anyone," Rena replied, only for the man to shrug as he fastened gloves to his hands. "Aren't you supposed to be more partial to your own?"

"You've been an outsider for a long time. Who knows if you're actually you? That's what I've been told to find out. Anything you're hiding, anything you're keeping, I will find out eventually… so you may want to confess."

"Confess…? To what?!" Rena had no damn idea what was going on! Why couldn't the return to the Hidden Sand after such a loss be peaceful? Surely, the group… and especially Gaara… deserved that much. As the man picked up a relatively sharp object, facing her, a twisted grin spread across his face. Rena's face fell as her eyes widened, terror coursing through her veins.

S͏͎͖͙̪̗q҉͉̖ui̳͇̟̘̖̼ͅŕ͎̜̘̠̫m͔̀i̢̻͔̤̲̜̙̲n̫g͜ ͉̜̣͕ṯ̦̼̹̳h̘̦̭͕͡rou̝̙̺̫̳̯̕g̪h̼ͅ ͏̯̤͉t̬͍̜͙͔̹h̙̼̻̱̤̼͟e d̸͓̜i̵̪͙͍̬̺͎r͍̟̙̺͚͢t.

Her breathing grew rapid and heavy as he got closer, wanting to scream aggressively loud as he came closer. She knew what came next. But, without a doubt, her screams here would mean nothing just as they did there.

I ͖͚ͅc̝͙ͅa̝͈͇ṉ͓̯'͇͔̳̩̙t̞͙̖̝̝̲͉͠ ̨̣̬̬ͅs͚̩̹̯̲̞̦t҉͚ͅo̴͍p̱̰͖̭̣ ̥t̨͖̭̙̻͉̟͙h̻̙͉̦͉͞e͏͚̱͕̯̲͕ ̵b̖̦l̤͖̗̹̖è̦̭̮̫̙̞ͅe̠̮͎̫̪d̕i̗̩͚̩͖͞ͅn̵̪̥̹̘̳̟g͍̥.

It was like static noise in her head as she began to panic, struggling against her restraints with all she had. No! No, no, no, no, no! As the knife pressed into her arm, the cold steel of the blade ready to penetrate, gently poking into her and letting a drop of blood swell underneath the point of the blade, the door swung open with a clang as it hit the wall.

"Stop."

Owari walked through the hall, a seagull squawking as it flew by the open-pillar holes in the mountain. The ocean clashed against the rocks below, the sound only overtaken by the door rolling shut and the seals being reactivated as it disappeared. A young man walked across the length of the hallway, to which Owari stopped and waited for him, her usual smile painted on her face as she observed his rather robotic gait.

He kneeled before her, bowing his head. "Lady Owari. The Hikari Clan welcomes you upon your return and there are many things you need to address. Most of them are waiting in the Grand Hall." As she wrapped her nails around his chin, raising his head and turning it from side to side, he had no objections- nothing but a blank stare on his face. It was as if he didn't even acknowledge being touched.

"Taishō. How have you been, waiting for me to return?"

"Lady Owari. The Hikari Clan has long awaited your return. There are many things you must address. Please continue on to the Grand Hall and do so." He robotically repeated his previous sentence, the same blank stare remaining- it was as if he was an automatic message on repeat. She tapped his chin and he arose, blankly staring ahead.

"Lead the way, Taishō. You never change; even that is amusing. You're like a helpless dog, living merely for your purpose, leeching at the feet of your masters and clinging to something bigger than yourself. No- not even a dog, you couldn't be- you're a mere doll, a puppet at best. Could you truly be called a living creature?" Despite her belittling, Taishō didn't even blink. He showed no emotional or physical reaction as he continued walking on. Owari's smile widened.

"Taishō! Tasihō!"

"Have you prepared snacks for our return? Tell us you have or suffer punishment!"

"Torture! We'll torture you, we swear!"

"Nanimonai, Subete, Taishō has important things to do. He can't play with you today." The two turned to Owari, their eyes watering with tears as they began to cry.

"B-But Taishō is the only one who ever plays with us!"

"He never tells us no for needle torture!"

"That's because he's physically incapable of saying no to a member of the Hikari Clan." Owari's eyes moved to Taishō, watching as he moved, knowing he would do nothing and say nothing in his current situation. "He is both an object and a servant. Yet, in a way, he is the most important member of this clan, for reasons I'm sure you know."

Nanimonai tilted their head, before hopping and bouncing up to Taishō's side, trying to get his attention. "Oh, I know the answer! It's because Taishō is our library!"

"Correct!" Owari gestured to him, "Even though he is our library, no matter what one of us demands, whether it be to satisfy carnal lust, a punching bag for boiling rage, a companion to listen to all of your secrets… Taishō cannot deny any of us." Her eyes boiled with excitement, bursting through her. Her cheeks flushed, her breath was heavy. "But he can betray all of us! Isn't that exciting?! Even though any of us can be so intimate with him, even though he can't deny us, he can screw us all in the end! That's ..." She let out a laugh, tilting her head back. "That's the glamorous excitement of the base nature of humanity! That's the perfection of living this life! Hope… despair… both are two sides of the same coin and Taishō is a constant reminder that in the end, love, bonds, none of it matters…! We all run in circles simply to reach the same conclusion anyway!"

"Lady Owari, you're very excited!" Subete said, bouncing beside their kin as they watched her spin in circles, laughing about the hall.

"I am… I am so excited." She looked up, but her smile had become a look of discontent. "I'm so excited, I feel like my heart could explode. I feel like my production is ready to go through the roof! But… there's nobody I can challenge. There's nobody that will properly allow me to… satisfy my true desire for high-stakes combat!" Saliva dripped from her mouth as she ran her hands up the sides of her body, tugging at the binds of her kimono to try and alleviate the heat. "Nothing is so orgasmic in comparison to a true, proper fight…"

"We have reached the Great Hall," Taishō gestured to the grand door before him, bowing. Owari loosened up, slamming her palms on the door and shoving it open, to which it did at an astonishing speed. There was no resistance the door could show that she couldn't penetrate. Three figures turned to her, casting shadows across the long floor as torches flickered next to the grand throne sitting atop a raised platform. As she strutted across the ornate carpeting, the others got on one knee as she walked by, addressing her all the same as 'Lady Owari.'

As she sat on the chair, her eyes glinting in the dim light, she placed her head in her palm, leaning on the armrest of the throne. "And what is so important, I needed to come here before anything else?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" A guy stepped up, his hair slicked back. It was uncharacteristically short for a Hikari and light blonde. "That's all you have to say after being gone for three months, Lady Owari?! We got your damn message! We even sent Fuyuki to meet you! Where's she, huh?!" He had a seemingly explosive temper, but a bemused Owari simply laughed, as her response was to most things. "And are all of the details in the message true?!"

"I've sent Fuyuki on a little errand. She'll be gone for a few months, but I've returned… for now. As for the message… yes. It is."

"Lady Owari. Please forgive me, but isn't it of utmost importance that we retrieve Lady Rena immediately? It is heavily concerning that-" The woman paused, her eyebrows twitching as Owari stared off into the distance, purposely ignoring her. "Lady… Owari. At the very least, as the head of this clan, you should very well listen to your advisor! I understand how you may want to gauge Sansa's actions and see if you shouldn't bring her back as well, but Lady Rena is an unparalleled asset that we must retrieve!"

"Huh?" Owari popped out of her zone. "Did you say something, Ubami?" The woman seemed to turn deathly pale as she walked into a corner, bopping her head against the wall, again and again, whispering and muttering to herself darkly.

"You never do anything, Ubami. Why are you so inactive, Ubami? I desire people who act, Ubami. The other members are so diligent, Ubami, so why aren't you?" She let out a loud screech, the other clan members ignoring her predicament as the final clan member stepped up. He was lanky, quiet, his eyes seeming like they didn't really want to speak up. His face was covered by a black mask, seemingly secured in place by straps that went around his ears.

Unlike the others, such as Ubami, who had purple features as an aspect of purple blood coursing through her veins and the man, who had light yellow blood, this boy had red hair… reminiscent of normal-colored blood. Owari's head moved up as she stood, stepping down from the throne as she clearly took interest in him. His eyes watched her move as she walked right up to him.

"I've procured several orphans, as per your request. They will be built into sturdy warriors and servants. We have also found several homeless and elderly, to which we have given to Gōmon. Nobody will miss the absolute trash of society."

"Good…" Owari's eyes softened as her hand raised, running through the boy's thick hair. "You're such a good boy, Shinzō. You're deserving of praise. Just like your father… you're the correct judge of talent, so of course, you would know who to pick from the streets. Don't forget… you're in charge of training those insignificants and making something out of them." A scream rang out through the halls, agonized and frantic, repeating over and over again as whoever it belonged to begged for mercy. Owari's shoulders shook. "How I missed the sounds of home… it seems like Gōmon has already gotten started." She withdrew her hand, but there was still one other matter…

"Hey! I want to be assigned somewhere. I wanna do something, Lady Owari! I'm so sick of always bein' cooped up in this fuckin' place! Come on, let me kill someone or something! Someone that can really fight back!"

"Yuki." He quieted down the minute she addressed him, her eyes like daggers as her glare intensified. "When I say you'll be needed, you'll be needed. Right now, you're completely useless to me outside…! Do you think I'd send you when I have a need for a delicate hand?! Are you… a complete moron?!" He rushed back as she burst forward, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him closer. "Do you need more training? Should I get Gōmon to give you the full starter course?! Do you need to be trained, like a child of the Hikari?"

Sweat rolled down his face as he gulped, his teeth grinding together as he shook. "N-No. I don't. I can be patient, Owari, I swear!"

Her grip loosened, a smile on her face as she gave him an honest response. "Good! That's what I like to hear!" But her eyes went back to dead as quick as they had brightened, her voice flat and final. "And don't you forget that, Yuki."

"Yes, Lady Owari…"

"As for everyone, your orders are simple. Prepare Kyūden. Make it fit for the Hikari; make sure those servants are trained and get a head-start on the internal gardens out on the cliff. Our fortress shall not fall in the coming days; we'll need to be sure that it can withstand assault for months on end."

"Yes, Lady Owari." The Hikari shinobi body-flickered away, all heading off for their respective tasks as Owari walked down the Grand Hall.

"Our game… Sansa, don't you know the stakes?" Her hair blew in a slight breeze running through from the external hallway. "You're betting with Rena's very sense of self, you know." Her smile twisted into a cruel one, her eyes filled with sadistic excitement. "But even that… is all right! As long as it doesn't cease to be entertaining, as long as there's a chance of it absolutely destroying the Hikari… let's risk it all together!" Her wild, untamed laughter echoed throughout the halls...


	21. 21 - Rena, Taken!

The party of six had come to a full stop in front of the eastern outer wall, the rock garden situated around them. As the group began to look around for clues, Gaara strayed from them, a single blade of grass catching his attention as it swayed in the breeze. His paranoia bubbled inside him as he wondered what they could possibly do without Sansa's guidance. As he continued to get lost in a sea of endless negativity, he could feel his previous insanity sinking back in, the echoes of what he used to be gnawing at his mind. He wanted to become stronger. He wanted more connections. He wanted to be a member of his village, for once in his life.

But he couldn't forget why they were here right now. The very village he wanted to dedicate himself to was going to murder the girl he loved. What if she was already dead and they'd been too late? Images flashed through his head as he imagined her purple-colored blood running through wooden floorboards, pooling in the cracks and overflooding. He could feel a myriad of emotions swelling within him, but he knew- he had to believe- it couldn't be like that. It shouldn't be.

A hand brushed across his shoulder and he jumped, turning back. He saw Kankuro, with a rather sympathetic look on his face, his eyes full of hope. Gaara could feel his brother's hand quiver as he touched him and he realized that Kankuro might still be afraid of him. "Gaara..." The red-haired boy's eyes remained plastered on his brother, "She's gonna be alright. None of us have to worry. It's not just Sansa and Baki who are fighting for her right now- It's us, too."

"What could a bunch of idiot Genin like you do?" Ikari's voice cut through the moment, receiving glares from most of the group, save for Su, who had turned in the opposite direction of Ikari to make faces at a cactus, "We have a failure," Su winced, "A tomboy and a useless cat," Temari's fist curled- she swore she would punch him if he didn't back off. Suno, on the other hand, was barely paying attention. "And whatever Tsukiyomi is." He shrugged. "But, as I said- we have three Hidden Sand Genin who completely failed the Hidden Sand and the rest of us are ill-equipped to take on an entire village."

"Keep talking and I'll wipe that annoying smirk off your face, you damn bastard!" Kankuro lunged forwards, his eyes burning with rage as he pulled Ikari by a strap on his chest, getting in his face. He curled his hand into a fist and drew it back, his intent clearly to aggravate the cocky boy.

"Oh, really? What can a puppet boy do?" Ikari shrugged, only to receive a swift thwack to the face as he was torn from Kankuro's grip. Kankuro was stunned as he stepped back, his sister cracking her neck and then her knuckles, one by one.

"Kankuro might have soft hands because he doesn't excel in Taijutsu, but I'm his sister. If need be..." Her glare deepened. "I'll be his hands and beat the ever-living shit out of you. I am skilled in physically strenuous combat." Damn. Ikari gritted his teeth as he bit back words of choice he'd have for that bitch, Temari. Still... There was plenty of time to mock and irritate Kankuro and definitely more than enough to teach Temari a lesson... later. It seemed like Temari had the same idea as he did.

The bickering would just hold them back. It had already cost them precious time. Each moment spent aggravating one another was another lost to time that they could never get back. Especially considering that it was about saving Rena, as well. This was a rather stupid situation they found themselves in, one Temari wasn't sure she could get Rena out of without the help of their father. Still... since her father was being a moron and decided to go and disappear, it was up to her to stop this. "Let's stop fighting. We need to get our priorities in check. We can fight after." As she turned away, Ikari rolled his eyes, but ultimately conceded- until the group heard a loud screech.

"What, what is it!?" Kankuro body flickered forward, seeing a small tuft of hair bounce back and forth as he, too, screeched.

"Hiya, Lord Kankuro, Lady Temari!" A girl bounced from side to side, her hair seemingly bouncing to the opposite as she did. Everyone's eyes followed it as she bounced and danced around the group, bewildered. "I'm Kasai! You know me, right? Right? Right?" She got closer with every statement, causing Kankuro to back up each time."Well, you see, Sansa decided I would be great for this missionandtoldmepeopleweregivingyouahardtimesoIfeltsupersympathetic and everything and I thought, woah,whatifIcouldhelpyouguys?Wouldn'tthatbereallycool and amazing andwhatever?Shetoldmeshe'dpaymeandeverythingandI'mreallyshotroncashrightnow beeeecause... Iblewitallonillicitmagsofhotwomen. I'lldoanythingtofuelmyaddiction. ANYTHING! SoIdecided,sure,whynot?I'mgoingtobringyoubackintotheHiddenSand! Don't worry, this passage is ANBU free!"

Nobody in the group could process how fast Kasai was speaking, nor the words that had flown out of her mouth at light speed. Kankuro stared at her, just trying to get his mind to catch up to her mouth as Temari rubbed her forehead with her palm. Ikari, on the other hand, burst out into laughter he could barely contain, causing Temari to give him a glare that shut him up instantly. However, Suno had picked out a single line in the sea of words she'd given them; "D-Did you say, hot women?" Tsukiyomi's head careened over to him, her eyes reflecting Suno, to which the boy knew to back down- quieted down faster than Temari had conquered Ikari.

"Please follow me!" Kasai's cheerful tone as she turned around and skipped over to the wall was more than Kankuro could really take. He squinted his eyes, taking in her appearance and thinking hard on where he'd heard her name. It was easy enough to come to a conclusion after ten seconds, he raised his hand and pointed at her.

"You're Kasai Kuki, of the Kuki Family, aren't you? People barely ever get into the Academy we have right now, there are less than twenty students in total." The Hidden Sand had a strange system in place. Outside of the Hidden Sand, you have a title, not a last name, but inside, there were a ton of Families- their version of Clans. They tried keeping their Kekkai Genkai and clan names secret via this formula, but the announcers still referred to them as of the Suna Family anyways.

"The Kuki Family? All of their members are ANBU." Temari said, staring at the academy student. Honestly, she had been studying the ANBU and thinking about joining them- mostly because she knew she'd never be Kazekage, nor would she have a chance. With that came the unpleasant thought that she would be married off soon, so the ANBU might be her only chance at having a choice for herself. Even if it wasn't the ideal line of work in the Hidden Sand, it was something she could still choose. She'd take that over just being a housewife for some guy she didn't even know. But beyond that... could the Kuki family be trusted?

"Hey, you better not be thinking what I think you are." Kasai's tone lowered, becoming dark and grainy, causing chills to run down Kankuro's spine. "Oh, the Kuki Family is corrupt or setting us up; this is a trap. Wrong. The Kuki serve only the Kazekage and his directives, even if the Kazekage is missing or dead. We'd never bring dishonour upon the Kuki name. We don't settle for anything less than perfection." Her disposition returned to normal, leaving Kankuro to continue edging away from her. "But, I'm not ANBU yet! Officially, at least. I'm still an academy student!" She gave the group an honest smile, bouncing on the spot. It was kind of scary someone so upbeat was getting into that line of work. Kankuro couldn't really see himself working as ANBU Black Ops.

The Kuki, like every other Family, had an Elder on the Council. That Elder had a stunning amount of sway with the Kazekage, being dead loyal and favoured. It was how they gained their prestige in the first place, having founded the Village with the First Kazekage as support. They never lead the Sand Black Ops, even though any member of the Kuki Family becomes one. They preferred taking orders and having less responsibility, though. This was all things Kankuro knew in preparation for his appointment as Kazekage. This type of information couldn't be found anywhere else.

But there was something else. The Kuki didn't just gain their position by being pushovers. Their Kekkai Genkai was extremely coveted by their clan, which made them perfect ANBU in the first place. The Hiding In Shadows Technique was strange; nobody quite knew what it did. Only three of the Nine Families had Kekkai Genkai, but the Kuki possessed the one that was the most speculated about...

Their affinity for stealth is what made them choose the path of the ANBU to begin with. Their Kekkai Genkai was nearly impossible to turn off; if nobody perceived them and they didn't speak, it was like they weren't there. If you were looking for them, directly for them, you could find them, but you'd have to have some scope of awareness. Someone with the Byakugan or Sharingan could probably find them, but it'd be much harder for someone without them. Kankuro had heard that this was just the base of the technique and everything beyond it was much stronger. "Are you going to follow me or not?" Kasai said, letting chakra flow through her palm as she placed it on the ground, sand shifting around her and pouring into an opening that suddenly exposed itself. It revealed a darkened, lengthily passage that went to places unknown; a gaping maw that exposed nothing of the journey to the other side.

"This path..."

Sand from above poured down in torrents; even as Temari walked under one, she sputtered, rushing out of the sudden waterfall, brushing the sand from her hair as much as she could. It was cool, although of course that would be the case; it was after the sun had set and they were underground. "Temari, we can't wait here forever," Kankuro said. His face was plastered in worry as they heard the heavy stomps of the Shukaku overhead; every moment, every jolt, would cause sand above their head to become dislocated and fall. She could see why he was saying they couldn't stay; she couldn't keep pacing back and forth. He was worried about the collapse of the roof.

"We have to wait a little longer, Kankuro."

"Sansa wouldn't let Rena stay in the village on her own. I'm sure she's already out."

"Before even us? We were one of the first in the tunnel. How can you be so sure when you know she's late to everything? She's so absentminded, she might have gone to bed in her own bedroom!" The two ended up waiting a little more. Eagerly. But even after the steps of the Shukaku quieted, even after Rasa came to get the rest of the villagers...

She never showed up.

Temari could feel her heart pang painfully as she remembered what had to be one of the worst nights of her life. There were few times she considered painful. Losing her mother was her first memory. Losing one of the only people who didn't treat her as just the child of the Kazekage was another. Not just that, but a friend, as well. As she nodded, the party began their descent into the evacuation tunnels, Temari glancing around to see if it had changed any. It seemed wrong that she couldn't feel the ground shaking as she walked through it, nor roars echoing through the long hall. Wooden beams supported the earth; it had been created by Rasa with hard-packed sand. She could smell the earthy scent of home, which calmed her despite everything she had on her plate.

"Is this tunnel safe?" Ikari asked as Su tried walking into it but ended up falling down the stairs, not knowing that there were any. He simply turned around, looked at her, chuckled and shrugged before going off into the darkness. "Whatever. I'll find out on my own." As she struggled to get up, Kankuro walked over and grabbed her arm, pulling her up.

"Be more careful, okay? We're on a time crunch."

Although his words seemed harsh to anyone else, Su nodded, determined. She had vowed to protect Rena and something like this wouldn't stop her. If she had to, she'd break in and steal her and escape the Hidden Sand. She didn't know where they'd go, but she'd definitely find a place. No matter what... she'd save Rena. The girl gave her a second chance, something that was rare in this world. A chance at life. A chance at something more than what she had. For that, she knew she would be loyal until the day she was killed or died of old age. Her home was wherever Rena was. She definitely couldn't go back to the Hidden Mist, after all...

As Kasai walked, it seemed like the group just got quieter and quieter. Nobody was really willing to go into the specifics and with Temari agonizing over her arranged marriage to someone she didn't know, she wasn't in the mood either. With Rena's impending doom, none of them wanted to. Ikari, on the other hand, was ahead of the rest of the group. His eyes trailed to the ground, hiding knowledge that the others didn't have. His thoughts drew back to it.

_"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. You guys, hide here." He'd said, waving off Tsukiyomi when she got up to follow them. "What, are you interested in something? Interested?" She stopped, giving him a glazed-over look as she turned away and walked back over to the group. As he walked further into the brush, his companions disappearing, he could feel a chill run down his spine and he knew. He spun, only to come face to face with Owari- and the two children that had been by her side. He got on one knee, bowing his head. "Lady Owari."_

_"Initiate." She nodded as he got up, his eyes still downcast. "I have someone I'd like you to meet." His eyes followed her gesture up to a woman with lavender colored hair up to her waist. Something was off about her, something he couldn't really put his finger on. She seemed rather supple in terms of body, but her skin was an off-color... he swore he could see black blotches move under certain parts of it every now and again. He realized... her skin itself was also lavender. But... the Hikari's body was quite literally evolved and developed over hundreds of years and several generations. The only way her skin could be lavender was by choice, although it was barely noticeable. "This is Fuyuki Hikari. She will be both your assistant and your superior on this mission. Listen to everything she has to say and if you require anything, she will provide it for you."_

_"Hello." A smile stretched across Fuyuki's face. It was eerie, but what was even stranger were her legs as she stepped forward. At first glance, they were long and graceful, but they were also covered in cloth. It seemed like the women of the Hikari preferred gaudy trappings rather than convenient ones, although they didn't really require mobility with their movesets. "Pleasure to meet you. I shall be the first operative you work with."_

_"There's more?"_

_"For now, Fuyuki will be your first and your introduction. Any details, you are to report to her. You will find an alternate entrance to the Hidden Sand and let Fuyuki in; the same will happen with the rest. When you find a place to stay, these operatives will remain with you. Fuyuki will be replaced in a month or two by another operative, bearing the Hikari name."_

_"How do I know they aren't an imposter?"_

_Owari let out a delicate laugh. "That's quite impossible. I've gone to very, very exquisite detail to make sure that nobody knows we exist. If a few hundred people need to die for that cause, it means nothing. We are entirely... nothing. The world cannot conceptualize we exist. The people would rather cower than think that we, the boogeymen who once stalked the night, could ever make a comeback. They've wiped tales of us from their villages. They've erased us from their history books, all because they think that their once-hero, now hailed as a rogue, disgraced and disgusting, destroyed all of us. But that couldn't be further from the truth. For all my son was, he was significantly lacking in one aspect; he underestimated everyone. No, he underestimated me. A foolish thing to do, especially when you consider that I was one of the ones who taught him everything I knew. Well, almost everything. Well, nearly nothing, actually. For all the dark and evil secrets I kept from him, he found out one and thinks he knows everything... and goes beserk, trying to murder us all."_

_"Your son... who was he?"_

_She paused, her eyes moving to the left as she recalled. "Once upon a time... I slept with a man and bore him five children. He knew of my origin. I even left the Hikari for him because he peaked my curiosity so much- he distracted me from my clan. My children died, one by one, but the only thing I had taken with me were Sansa and Rena. After a while, I'm sure Rena's condition alarmed my son. My other son, one who died much later, right before the events that led to our clan being nearly eradicated, wasn't nearly as inquisitive into the subject. When he died... things changed." Owari trailed off as she glanced at the sky. Ikari could swear her eyes were full of sorrow, but her expression changed into a smile. "In the end, I always knew I could make powerful children. None of them had what it took to inherit or unlock our Kekkai Genkai..." She paused, then shook her head. "I suppose it's correct to say I had six children with him, but I discarded the one that was born with both. It was beyond broken and wouldn't have survived for more than a month. Rena has always been and will always be my priority as the child with the most potential out of any I have ever bothered to create. Trash, no matter how powerful that trash is, will never have the opportunities she does. Therefore, who cares if someone can bring the world to its knees as long as Rena can destroy it?" Owari's laugh was hollow and empty. "This story bores me. I'm not in the mood to tell you anything more. Since you're so concerned about impostors, I will personally bring the next operative and recount to you some more of my tale later on."_

_"A-Ah. Understood." He didn't really know how to process the story. It was all so confusing. She had other children that died...? But Sansa had been there too. Since she hadn't erased anyone's memories from the Hidden Sand, did she hope one of them would tell Rena? He couldn't understand the motivation behind her actions. It was as if all she did was simply for... entertainment._

_"For now, depart. I will return to the place I am meant to be; where you are meant to be, as well. But until your mission is complete, you cannot take your rightful place amongst the other Hikari."_

_"There are other Hikari?" Ikari asked, excitedly._

_"Our clan is far from dead, initiate. Although our current base of operations only has a few of many, we had a fallback plan. There are Hikari in every village, ones who are waiting for us. Bred and born there, trained and raised by their grandparents and parents, all across the world. Just in case something happened to the main village."_

_"So what my parents told me is true. You have sleeper agents everywhere."_

_"No, initiate, not sleeper agents. Loyalists to the Clan, awaiting our signal, training in secret. People we simply have to retrieve when we are ready to wage war upon this world."_

_"War?"_

_"Don't you think the world is all the more beautiful when painted in blood?" Owari turned away, the twins following. They had been dead silent the entire time, as if they were on autopilot. Owari had noticed him looking at them as she craned her head back. "Don't worry about them. They're just sleeping. Don't disturb them; the last thing we need is more of their outbursts."_

_"T-They can sleep and walk at the...?"_

_"It's one of few special skills taught by the Hikari. In war, mobility is key. They're not normally awake during the day. We use Blood Synchronization to locate and determine where one another are and from that their blood moves on its own as they sleep. In a sense, your blood is controlled through your dreams to steer you in the direction you want to go." Ikari hoped he would learn something similar to that. To think they were so prepared for war... he had truly stumbled upon a higher purpose, something to die for._

**_That was everything to him._**

The group had finally come to the exit, ascending the stairs, only to shield themselves from the glare of the sun. The pathway was surrounded by ANBU, who readied their weapons, led by someone who definitely wasn't Sansa. "You are to be detained and imprisoned for your insolence. And you, Kasai, will be barred from joining the ANBU. I thought you would have known better than to do what you've done."

"Oh? I'm sorry, was this not the right place to bring them?" Kasai tilted her head before bouncing up to them, a smile on her face. "You don't understand! I was already ordered to detain them!"

"What?!" Both the ANBU and the group couldn't hide their astonishment at their bold claim.

"In the name of Lady Sansa Hikari... this group is under arrest for questioning on the subject of what happened in the Hidden Leaf." It was clear that although the ANBU wanted to protest in some way, it was impossible for them. So instead of asking, they moved forward, one reaching out to grab Su.

"Hey!" Kankuro stepped in front of her, raising his arm and barring them from touching her. Su's cheeks flushed pink, not that Kankuro saw that. His kindness was overwhelming; she didn't know how to describe the feeling. He was always so gallant and thoughtful.

"Stop."

The man turned his head to a woman with a familiar voice. She was in full ANBU getup, her short black hair framing the mask perfectly. He sighed, pulling the sharp object from Rena's skin, causing her to sigh in relief. As he spoke, chills ran down Rena's skin. "Sansa, don't you know that interfering with sanctioned business is a crime punishable by death?"

"I'm a Kunoichi, Sensan. I know the risks of the life of a Shinobi, so I no longer fear death. No need to threaten me with it." She held her hand out and the man, Sensan, placed the torture tool in her palm.

"Don't fucking balk just because that thing looks like your kid. Whatever it is, it's Orochimaru's now." Rena trembled at his name but it seemed like the ANBU was even more afraid as he fell over, the objects on the pan he'd been looking through clattering to the floor around him.

"Excuse me, Sensan? Don't you know ANBU protocol? You're in violation of Sect Five. This is also punishable by death, which means I will not balk on defending our village's honour." Sansa placed a hand on a sheath attached to her back, her blade sliding out smoothly and gently nicking his throat. A small well of red blood dripped in a thin line down his skin. "By your twisted logic, you skipped into ready to cut open a child who may- or may not- be a pawn of Orochimaru without asking a single question first simply because the Elder Council ordered it makes you forget your position." He trembled, but Sansa's blade was steady. It didn't falter through a single beat, not affected by his moving. It remained stationary. "You... work under _me_. Appointed by the Kazekage himself... in this trying time, you dare violate ANBU protocol? You're a disgrace. Consider yourself demoted. Go home- you're one of the basic soldiers now."

"Y-You can't just..."

"I can't?" Her voice was like ice. "Are you going to keep telling your superior commander what they can and can't do? If you just wanted to commit suicide..." She bent down, getting uncomfortably close to him. He tried to move away, but the wall was behind him. "Then I could just fire you, you know."

"N-No! Not that!"

"In truth, you hoped I would fear death, didn't you? But in the end, I'm much more suited for this job than you could ever be. Someone as sick-minded as you... has no place in my ANBU Black Ops." She raised her hand, her index finger pointing at the door. "You're lucky I'm not firing you, Sensan. The fact that you're part of one of the Nine Noble Families is the only thing saving you from that. Get out."

He scrambled to leave, his glare apparent on his face as he realized he could do nothing to combat Sansa's absolute control over the Black Ops. Damn that bitch! He thought. Even though she only has the support of a quarter of the ANBU, she's still... way too much of a match for anyone to take her position!

As he slammed the door behind him, Sansa reached up, removing her mask and placing it on a nearby stool as she walked over to Rena. Her face was solemn. "Sorry, kiddo." As she flipped the tool in her hand, she didn't seemingly have any plans for it. "I've gotta get information out of you, so please cooperate."

"S-Sansa..."

"I don't want to do this any more than you don't want it done to you. My job is all I've got here, Rena. If the Kazekage is gone... I can't protect anyone without the power of the ANBU behind me. I can't save anyone. This world is about to get a lot more dangerous... which means that I need to stay strong, now, more than ever. Someday, we're gonna look back on this and laugh, but until then..." Her eyes glistened with tears as she leaned down by her child, pressing the blade to her skin where the man had begun to cut. "What do you have to do with Orochimaru?" Her eyes narrowed, her grip on Rena's arm tightening as the girl squirmed. "And don't you dare lie to me. I'm not afraid to make you bleed for the sake of the village."


	22. 22 - Court Is In Session

Baki had finally reached the Elder council's ears on the subject of a proper court case for Rena. It had taken quite a bit of convincing, as the Shinobi guarding the room had rejected his entry six times. He had to use all of the goodwill and favours he had collected in the Hidden Sand in his entire life to make it happen. He had never name-dropped the Kazekage before, not like this- but it was for a good cause. He hoped Rasa would forgive him. As he stood before the Elder Council, judgemental gazed mixed with the soft ones, Merui was the first to respond to his plea. "You have intruded a rather important matter to argue the life of a single Genin that has been missing for years, Baki? Have you not considered the fact she could be a sleeper agent designed to fool you- to fool the Hidden Sand- so Orochimaru can do to us what he tried to do to the Leaf?"

Baki bowed his head, hoping a small show of respect would go a long way. "Lord Kazekage himself showed her goodwill and welcomed her into the Hidden Sand. He gave the order to let her through untouched. Wouldn't he of all people be the first to see she was a threat?"

"If only I was as simple-minded as you, Baki. I'd have not a single care in the world, would I? Now, listen closely. I'm not going to repeat myself." Lady Merui's tone was as cold as ice as she stared him down, causing him to step back a little."Her connections to the Kazekage before his death are what put her in the realms of suspicion. I don't know about the rest, but I will take the correct path; my answer is no." As her eyes trailed to another member of the Elders, his back pistoned upwards as if he was trying to sit up straight. Tojuro, another member of the Hidden Sand.

The old man was ecstatic that Merui had made good on her promise; that he would be involved in every major he would be a beacon of power and light in the Sand. He knew that the youths of Suna would grovel before his power as his grandchildren and children did. He wasn't opposed to seeing Baki on his hands and knees, either. Deciding to take the old woman's cue, he spoke. "I agree with Lady Merui; my answer is proper and only path before us; Rena Hikari must die."

Baki's face fell as he tried to speak against it, but his mouth locked. Without the support of a single council member, it was pointless to try- all that would end up happening is Merui would brand him a traitor, something she'd be looking to do in the future. He could feel his hope crumble into dust in the breeze of the desert. "I would like to give this Rena a chance." He rose his head, turning to view a small, but gentle-looking Elder. It was clear this hadn't been planned as the look that crossed Merui's face was one of pure rage.

"A mere side branch..." Her nails dug into her palms as Merui desperately attempted to keep a smile on her face. How humiliating! How unthinkable! This old bag dared defy her will!?

"I may not be part of the main branch of my clan like the rest of you, but I am the appointed Honored Lady Ine. The Kazekage himself bestowed this position upon me; he knew a day would come when this council required reason and I believe today is that day." Ine nodded her head to Merui, but Tojuro snapped as he slammed his hands on the table, his chair scratching across stone as he rose.

"What are you implying, Ine?!"

"Ohohohohoh!" The bickering had halted in favour of a larger man, who wiped tears from his eyes as he threw his head back and hollered in laughter until he felt like his throat was hoarse. "All right, all right. All of our eggs are in two different baskets right now! I think I'll make this vote a little fairer and say... Let's give the kid a chance, dammit!" Baki was surprised that Ikanago would pick a side like this. The man was definitely notorious for his unpredictability, but he didn't expect Ikanago of all people would participate. "We don't really have solid proof of anything. If the opposite can be scooped up, proof she isn't a minion of Orochimaru, then isn't it right to let her have a chance? She is, after all, a member of our esteemed village!"

Merui's eyes narrowed as she covered up her grimace with one of her long sleeves, raising an eyebrow in disdain as she stared down the boisterous old man. "Ikanago, don't get things twisted. She is no kunoichi of Suna; she was born to Sansa, an outsider, and she threatens the very honor of our village!"

"Nonsense, Merui! Just because she was born to Sansa doesn't mean she doesn't have the Honor of Wind running through her. She was born in the Hidden Sand, Merui, in the Suna Hospital as we all were!" His tone was jovial and his voice boomed through the meeting hall, bouncing and echoing off of the walls. "You make it sound as if she's at fault for all of our sins; we are to blame, entirely, for what has happened to us. Besides, if that doesn't make her one of us- what does? Do you have to be a member of the Nine Noble Families or a legacy to truly count as a member of Sunagakure? What does that mean for our civilians and common folk, then?! What about the wishes of the First Kazekage?!"

"Ikanago!" Merui's eyes held venom. "Do not patronize me! How dare you bring up the First Kazekage for a situation such as this?! The dead are dead- they have no place in a conversation between the living!" Not to mention, bringing up such a person opened bitter, old wounds. She was sure he knew what he had just said to her.

"I have to say I agree with Lord Ikanago's words. On the basis of her being an outsider, that's incorrect since she was born in Sunagakure. She is a member of our village. There is no point in disputing this fact as it will just run in an endless circle like a snake eating its own tail." Ryusa, another Elder, said, shaking his head. His voice was gentle and calm, like a soft breeze on a hot day.

"Even you, Fifth Lord?" It seemed like Tojuro couldn't contain the surprise he carried in his voice. A lot of people would take Ryusa's remarks to heart with his reputation for always being calm and collected, knowing what to do in a time of crisis and always being set on his path. It didn't bode well for their cause.

"My nobility has nothing to do with the discussion at hand, Tojuro. Might I remind you that we are all members of the Nine Noble Families? Just because the Hebidoku Family is known as the Second Noble Family due to its contributions to the Sand doesn't mean it diminishes my input or my position in the Council any more than it would the Kashikoi Family in an argument for the wellbeing of Suna." Tojuro didn't know what Merui could do to recover the conversation in her favor now. Things weren't looking bright; judging by the look on her face, she had expected the rest to agree with her. This was something she hadn't expected. "Most of us are simply retired Family Heads or respected and appointed figures within our families. There's no longer any need for us to compete amongst each other; we are here for the future of our village, not the present. Leave the competition to the new generation and simply focus on the issues that need to be resolved."

"There is only one family that holds more sway than any of ours. Perhaps we should call in Rasa's children? The Sunai's input would be integral to our-" Although he hadn't spoken yet, Sajo was cut off in the middle of his sentence by a seemingly more impatient member of the Council.

"Respect the wishes of the Third Kazekage. They have long since discarded the 'I', Sajo. As for Rasa's children, not only are they inexperienced, but also failures as you can see our village is currently thrust into chaos." His words were bitter and stung to the bone, but they were true in the eyes of many. "If they had succeeded we'd be in a different position right now but we're set up for failure having to deal with this useless, insignificant child when we should, in reality, be rushing to fix our relationship with the Hidden Leaf!" Joseki took his cup from the table before him, taking a few long swigs, before slamming it back down, the liquid splashing over his hand as he shot a glare at the sympathizers. "Asking for a trial is pointless, we have more pressing matters to deal with than arguing over some useless, untrained Genin! My vote is obviously no, just let the ANBU do their goddamn job!"

"I think that we should look further into this and save an innocent life if need be. I agree with Ryusa." Sajo shook his head, making the total vote uneven. Four to three, seeing as there was no representative of Sunai- as the Kazekage wasn't there. There was a single Elder Council member, her hands clasped over one another as she looked out the window at the blue sky above, trapped in thought as her brows cascaded into a frown. Everyone turned to look at her, before she took a deep breath and locked her hands together.

"This has negative undertones for the future. Surely, Lady Merui has her reasons for acting as fast as she did; as the representative of the Tamashi Family, I have to say I would rather protect the lives of the Genin we have than risk it all for one we haven't had. Seeing as the entire village could potentially face danger, a single Genin, in comparison, can be sacrificed to ensure safety."

"Even the Elder of the Tamashi Family sees the reason in my words. Can't you all see? A single Genin is not worth our entire village. Even if this is our fault we cannot deny her involvement in not only the failure of the plan, but the fallback and the fact our Kazekage is missing." Merui shook her head, placing a hand over her heart as she attempted to lower herself to their levels. "Please. If you have even a single nephew or niece, granddaughter or grandson that pops into your head when I say this, you will agree with me- Rena Hikari must die."

The room was silent as the Council all contemplated the voices before them. There was another moment, before all that could be heard was a loud guffaw and Merui felt like a blood vessel in her head had burst. "I think that's enough of this, don't you? We're all the same here- a tie means that we're all stubborn old bastards who won't change our minds anytime soon." Ikanago stood up, walking around the table. "Since we can't seem to vote properly, we'll leave it to a member of the Kazekage's council- one he appointed himself. Baki will be the final, deciding vote- one made fairly." How dare Ikanago imply that the votes backing her weren't fair?! He was taking control and steering everything to his benefit- to his views!

"My vote is to give her a chance. The Hidden Sand is experiencing issues in strength as it is, definitely being the weakest of the Hidden Villages. If some Elders might think we can afford to throw away future Genin with such promise- as this one- they're wrong. Rena outperformed many Shinobi during the Chuunin exams despite the clear gap in strength. She fought on despite all odds. In a trying time like this, we can't afford to treat our future Jonin as throwaways!"

"How dare you assume...?!" Tojuro very well might have lunged at Baki had Merui's sundering glance not crossed his path. Still, he couldn't calm down- he felt like he was reaching a boiling point in his anger. "What difference will one Genin make?!"

"It may not seem like it now but when you're sorely lacking power and force in the future, it will be a direct result of the way you seemingly throw away Genin like they're nothing!" Baki replied, his response causing Tojuro's boiling anger to display on his face as it reddened in both anger and embarrassment.

"Bah!" Tojuro was near screaming. "You may be a low-ranking, lesser member of the Sukuma, but you're a part of the Sukuma Family no less! You're definitely leaning toward what Sajo voted! Show some respect to your greaters!"

"Shut... up!" Ikanago roared, his hair-trigger unpredictability rearing its ugly head once more. "Absolute nonsense! Baki wouldn't risk pissing any of us off just to gain Sajo's favor! I can tell this man is truly passionate about the future strength of Suna and desires more than just the death of our Genin! It's clear this matter requires more than a death sentence as some of you are so fond of, so stop trying to delay the proceedings and let's go already so we can get it over with and deal with other issues!" As he cracked a fist down on the table, it collapsed under his fist. "In other words, stop fucking bitching! This could have been done with already by now!"

Merui's nails raked across the wood of her side of the desk. Damn Ikanago- his foolishness had gone too far this time. He'd always been partial to Ine, but to favor her so much he'd go this far... why were four of their Elders defending someone they'd never met at the risk of upsetting the Hebidoku in the middle of a power vacuum? Trying to gain more power for themselves? She'd destroy them all, no matter the cost or the means. She wouldn't let this go any other way... Other than her own.

"I've had a change of heart." She put a smile on her face, Tojuro looking at her as if she was insane. "I agree with you. Why threaten the life of a single Genin over such nonsense as proof?" Her tone was lighthearted, but the others could feel the venom behind her words. "I agree to a court for Rena Hikari." The others looked around, uncomfortable, as they had been backing Merui- they couldn't change their votes, which disturbed them. It would expose a darker mechanism deep within the grinding cogs and gears of the Hidden Sand..."Bring her here." Merui signalled, to which two Elder Council members, Ine and Ikanago, stood, vanishing via the body flicker technique in a rush to get to the place where Rena was held.

But Merui was sure that Rena wouldn't be in any state to speak, let alone move. She had assured that Sensan would do his finest work. He was, after all, a Hebidoku, and venom ran deeper than blood, bonds, honor or loyalty.

Sansa had cleaned off her tools and wrapped bandages around Rena's arms. Blood seeped through them, so thick it almost glob-dripped onto the floor. On the other hand, though, Ikanago and Ine walked through the door, seeing the scene; Sansa stood over Rena in her overturned chair, her hair splayed out against the dirt. Ine walked over to her, leaning down to examine the situation. "Sansa. I never imagined you, of all people, would be this heartless."

"The Hidden Sand's teachings involve the philosophy that the mission is more important than the life of a comrade. By that extension, the village is more important than the wellbeing of one Genin. I did what I did for the Hidden Sand and I won't regret that; I have the truth." This caused Ikanago's eyes to harden as he stared at the Genin before turning back to the Black OPs member.

"And? What is this truth of yours?"

Sansa shook her head from side to side, sighing. "It's as anyone would expect. However, to keep you completely impartial, the details will be revealed in court."

"You're quite diligent, Sansa." Ine replied, a small smile spreading across her face. "I suppose you expected it to work in your favor, didn't you?"

"I suppose I did." She replied. Before pulling Rena up and supporting her. "Let's go, kiddo. It's time to prove your allegiance in court." Rena simply groaned as her head lolled back. "And hopefully walk the wounds off on the way."

"Court is now in session."

A chair had been placed in the middle of the circle of desks the Elder Council had set up, shackles on either armrest. Rena was lead through the doors, blood dripping from the bandages as her eyes moved around the room. Gaara's face showed signs of worry and her eyes widened as theirs met. He didn't look away from her and judging by the ANBU surrounding the party she had come in with they were in just as much trouble as she was. She was forced down into the chair, the shackles closed on her wrists and ones she hadn't even known were there on her legs, completely binding her to the chair.

Merui folded her hands in her lap, giving a superficial smile as she began. "Rena Hikari, child of Sansa Hikari, sits before us. She is accused of betrayal and being a pawn of Orochimaru." She paused, the court absolutely silent as she allowed the information to sink in and take root, looking around at her fellow Elder Council members. "I think that she is undoubtedly guilty. Our proof-" She gestured to an ANBU, who laid out their supposed proof before her, "Is a letter. Sent by Orochimaru himself, found in the Kazekage's office and dated a day before Rena's return... exactly." Her smile stretched across her face. "Dearest Kazekage, I shall return something to you that I took years ago; look forward to it. This particular gift may bring a certain something to the Hidden Sand..."

"That letter alone is not enough to count as proof. It does not mention Rena by name; it is simply dated before her return. Rasa would have mentioned such a thing." Sansa spoke, her mask slightly distorting her voice. She took a glance around the room. The Genin involved had been sorted based on outsiders or not, so they were on opposing sides of the room. "Beyond that, I think that Rena should be allowed to speak. If she tells you what she told me, word for word, then there should not be an issue."

"Speak, child." Ikanago commanded, taking the reins from Merui, who grimaced. Rena looked up, her hands in her lap as she gently traced the lines of her palm with her thumb, anxiously tapping her foot on the floor at the same time. "You have the freedom to speak here."

"I... know that a lot of people thought I was crushed by the Shukaku." Gaara winced. Thinking of the way it felt when he was told he'd crushed her and absolutely destroyed her, the glances of hate in Sansa and Temari's eyes, the treatment from his older brother, it was all a part of what had set him on his original, dark path to begin with. But the girl that had helped him out of that darkness, the one who always had a smile on her face and was always there to surmount unbeatable odds, was now being tried by the same people he wanted to try protecting. "Yes. I did head toward the Shukaku. I did try to reach it and get close to it, but the Shukaku never hurt me..." Her voice was quiet, but so was the court. "It was Orochimaru."

Rena sped up her pace as much as humanly possible, dashing from rooftop to rooftop with the technique Sansa had taught her for her birthday. She didn't know what was going on with Gaara- only that he was that big, terrifying monster trampling the village. Most of the villagers had been evacuated with the exception of those in the slums, as Rena had seen people occasionally rushing and screaming, but she had no time to slow down and stop. She needed to see him...! "Gaara!" She called out, over and over again, but it didn't seem like he was listening. She could feel her fear spiking as she got closer, but her need to see Gaara overcame that terror.

She could feel something sharp penetrate her chest as she lost her balance, her ankles buckling as she jolted sideways off of the rooftops, hitting the ground with an impact that winded her. As she coughed, wheezing for air, she could see a figure lingering over her, the eyes something that reminded her of the scary folk tales the elders would tell to scare the children into behaving obediently. "No... I need to get to Gaara!" She begged between her gasping breaths, but the figure just cackled as his shoulders shook.

"You'll never see Gaara again." All she saw was his hand as he reached down. "Our new... relationship... requires complete honesty, after all."

"Is what you're saying that the Hidden Sand's incompetence led to you being kidnapped?" Merui didn't waste any time in trying to villainize Rena's words and defame and disgrace her honor. Although Merui seemed most eager for her to fail, another spoke in her defense.

"Sansa, what were the ANBU's designations during this attack?" Ine asked, as calm as ever.

"Half were prepared to assist the Kazekage in re-sealing the Shukaku. The other half were within the tunnels, making sure everyone got out safely. The sweeps would have ended by that time and people would be more focused on escape and sealing." Ine nodded, gesturing to Sansa as if to commend her response.

"In other words, the Hidden Sand is not implied to be incompetent; simply preoccupied with another danger."

"So what you're saying is that it's this girl's fault for not reaching the exit in time. She deliberately broke away from the ANBU to chase after a known threat. Someone suicidal- someone who might be already dead."

"I wasn't suicidal. Only worried about another member of the Hidden Sand."

"The Jinchuriki of the Shukaku. That's another interesting point. What relationship do you have with that bloodthirsty monster?" She shot a pointed glare at Gaara. A small smile spread across Rena's face as she looked at him, causing him to flush slightly. "How do we know it wasn't an internal assassination?"

"Halt. Nobody is saying the Kazekage is dead yet. Another point to add to that is that we don't even know if it was an assassination. Don't fear-monger." Ryusa shot Merui down almost instantly. Even if the price for it was high, they needed more hope than panic at the moment and what Merui was doing, pushing the Kazekage's death, was in no way beneficial to the Hidden Sand.

"I'll tell you about my relationship with Gaara." Sansa's head snapped over to Rena and Kankuro realized that perhaps this wasn't the best way to get her out of it. "When I was a child, Sansa didn't let me go out a lot. She told me I would never be a kunoichi, so there was no point in straying from our home." Sansa herself remembered this quite well; her goal was to protect Rena and let her live a normal life, not one of wars... but Sansa didn't know how to do anything other than war. It was all she had been raised for and taught, so of course her travels led her back to a place steeped in it; the Hidden Sand. Still, despite all she desired for the child she couldn't stop her from becoming the thing that would awaken her past the most. "So I snuck out, trying to train on my own. I didn't really understand back then, I didn't even know what chakra was. I ended up getting lost. I think I was six...?" She took a glance back at Sansa, who nodded. "I had accidentally hurt myself with a shuriken. I was bleeding and crying and it was pretty dark out. I thought I'd die there. But Gaara found me, and he took me back to his house and he and his uncle helped me. I kept sneaking out to see him, showing up at his place over and over again... And we became friends." He recalled the difficulty it took when Sansa found out to convince her of their good.

At first, like all others, Sansa was wary and attempted to keep them apart, but after realizing Gaara meant no harm, she allowed Rena to have a friend. Although they secretly had lessons, it was difficult to teach her anything with Sansa always trying to keep an eye on the two, so they had to consistently fool her. Gaara had specifically studied even harder, trained even more, so he could teach Rena everything. It had been the first time he had a friend, so of course he would do anything to keep them.

"Disgusting. The Shukaku has no friends."

"He's not the Shukaku!" Rena snapped, rattling against her bindings. "You people always treat him with fear and hatred! Why not try a different way?!"

"Excuse me, girl?! I will not stand idly by and let you patronize me! Do you think you know better than your Elders?!" Merui replied, icily. "Enough! You die now. How dare you say such a thing!?"

"Stop." Merui froze as Gaara walked over to the circle. "She does not die. Nobody touches her."

"And what are you going to do about it? Do you truly think you can protect this traitor?!" Her palpable fear was showing. Gaara standing up for the girl was unexpected, to say the least. He was a cold-blooded monster and the reason why they lost so much of their power in the early days. What could this girl possibly have on him to get him to be her shield? "Kill them both! Do it!" She barked as the ANBU descended on the two. What a great way to get rid of two obstacles at once.

Another surprise came in the form of the door swinging open, Kankuro standing before the Council. He had originally been at Temari's side, but the illusion there began to flake away, revealing his puppet rather than him. "I have counter-proof!"

"You... Kankuro, I would have thought you of all people would adhere to the rules...!" Merui slammed her fist on the table, her glare piercing through him. He almost didn't want to speak, but it was in his- and Rena's- best interests for that to happen.

"This requires a little bit of rule-breaking, Lady Merui. Please forgive me."

"I suppose I can... " She was surprisingly lenient on Kankuro. "But only because you are the son of Rasa." As if Gaara wasn't...?! Rena wanted to punch that stupid old lady! Why was she being so nice to Kankuro, but the opposite to Gaara?

"Since I'm Rasa's son, you'll let me speak, right?" Merui thought for a moment, before nodding. Of course she would. It was in her best interests, her family's best interests, to adhere to Kankuro's good side as the next Kazekage. "Alright. I have a document here, sealed and signed with chakra." He held up an elaborate tube, before handing it off to Ikanago, who broke the seal and unfolded the precious information within.

"This is..."

"Why would my father sign this if he didn't know it was Rena? Why would he, himself, seek to secure a marriage between Rena and I if-"

"What?!" Merui's shrill voice pierced the air. "Impossible!"

"This is true. Even the Chakra is Rasa's. He signed this in both blood and chakra..." Ikanago frowned, before placing the parchment down. "I, the Kazekage, Rasa of Suna and the Golden Sand, hereby declare that Kankuro Suna and Rena Suna shall be promised to one another as they should have been in childhood. I wish for their deepest happiness and hope that this concord provides the path to their truest dreams."

"What..." Merui didn't know what she'd do. This didn't just put a pin in her plans to blame the murder on the Genin and Orochimaru, but it also screwed her family's path to Suna blood once again! How could she come back from this?! "What do you mean... Rasa wouldn't marry someone of Suna blood to someone who isn't even a legacy!"

"Rasa married someone outside of nobility before." Merui's hand twitched. Yes, when her daughter had failed- they had been so close to Rasa and then he met her. That bitch. She couldn't even survive her own pregnancy, let alone properly handle a kunai. There had been nobody matching her since... the Suna Sibling's mother. Apparently not... as her eyes darted to Sansa. It seemed like that heathen wormed her way into the Kazekage's mind with some kind of jutsu. There was no reason Rasa shouldn't turn to the Hebidoku after the death of his wife. Perhaps it was because he already had heirs. "I'm sure that this decision was based on something Rasa knew that we did not."

"I have always loved Rena." Kankuro's statement was bold, even having some of the Elders blushing.

"Show some decency, boy!" Ryusa's eyebrow twitched, he, too, onset by a furious tomato red. "This isn't the kind of thing to claim in front of the court!"

"I won't!" Kankuro yelled. "I'll say it as much as I have to say it!" Even though his face was red, his eyes met Rena's. Gaara looked at the two of them and saw something that perhaps made him feel a bit sad. If he wasn't here, there'd be no obstacle for Rena's happiness. His brother was definitely an idiot, but he was a genuine one. If it was Kankuro... maybe he could secure a happy ending. One Gaara would never be able to give her. "I've waited for so long...! I've stayed quiet for so long, but all I want is to scream the words in my heart!"

"Don't you think you're too young to know anything about love?" Merui tried to dissuade him, but Kankuro wasn't having it.

"There's no time to wait and find out when we're in a world where we could potentially die."

Ikanago and Ine exchanged fluttering glances, before looking away from one another. Gaara took a few steps back, before hiding behind one of the ANBU members, fading into sand as he disappeared. Perhaps... this is what was for the best. He didn't want to wait to hear Rena's reply, but it seemed like the rest of the Elder Council was now completely unsure about sentencing the future Kazekage's wife to death.

Rushing through the streets of Suna like a whipping desert wind, nobody paid any mind to him. Even that was fine. He didn't know what he was feeling, nor why he was feeling it. As he set down on the wall, he tried to reason with whatever was hurting inside him as he clutched his heart like he had so long ago, tears dripping down his face. Was this... what letting go was? No... he couldn't let go of this love. He understood it would be a pain, but it was one of the things that saved him. If he let go of it... he might forget his purpose. If he let go of it, he might forget her, and such a thing was unforgivable.

As he turned around, his tears rolling off of his cheeks, he stared down at the Hidden Sand. A harder breeze whipped around him, sand rolling over the top of the wall in the form of a starting sandstorm. Perhaps this was his mother, comforting him once more. As he raised his hands, embracing himself, he swore.

If not for anyone else, then for her. He would become the Kazekage, not Kankuro. He would make sure she never suffered again, that her husband would always have time for her, and that she would never go hungry. If he couldn't do anything else, then he'd do that, at the very least...! It was all she deserved and more. He would never let her be alone, not like he was...

"Where's... Gaara?" Rena asked, finally being released from the clutches of the Elder Council and being escorted out by the ANBU. Tsukiyomi and Suno were at her side, Su and Ikari in front of her. Ikari shrugged nonchalantly, as he checked out the structure of the Hidden Sand.

"I don't know. He's probably not anywhere close to here. I can't sense him. He usually slips right through my senses when he wants to." It was true, Su had a hard time placing Gaara when he slipped into sand mode, although she'd never know what the hell he did to get away from her. She assumed he was extremely impressive as a shinobi, which scared her even more. That boy... there was nothing good about him, from the way he smelled to the way he talked.

"Stop. For Rena Hikari, her journey in the Hidden Sand continues, but for the rest of you..." As they cut the Genin off from one another, they turned and twisted before Sansa stepped forward. She didn't necessarily enjoy their presence, nor did she like the fact they came from outside of the Hidden Sand, but they did assist Rena in her time of need... and their intentions seemed innocent enough.

"I will be taking these four under my wing."

"What, Lady Sansa?!"

"You heard me. Stand down, that's an order. I have specific plans to make these Genin useful soldiers. We lost many in the fight against the Leaf, so it only makes sense we do what we must to replace them."

"But... they might be spies!"

"Which is why I shall be taking them into my own household and having them under constant observation. If you are implying that even a single one of their deeds can slip past me, I don't think you truly know who I am." All the ANBU member could do was stare, jaw hanging open, as the party passed the rest with little trouble. Sansa waited until the ANBU were out of sight, before turning back. "You must adhere to my rules if this is happening. I only have two guest rooms, so boys and girls will have to share separately. No girls in the boy's room, no boys in any of the girl's rooms. Nobody is allowed in our home. You will not open the door for anyone. You will obey my curfew, 6 PM."

"Don't you think that's a bit much? We're shinobi, you know."

"You, Ikari, are under house arrest until you make yourself more likeable. You will not leave my property even if the village is burning around you."

"Hey!" He snapped. "You can't just do that!"

"Watch me." Sansa towered over him and a shiver ran down his spine. "You, by far, are the least trusted swine in the group."

"Mother..." Half of the members of the group froze, causing Rena to swivel around her head in shock. "Huh? What? You guys look like you've seen a ghost or something." That was right- Rena still didn't know about Owari. Most, if not everyone, had silently sworn not to tell her. It didn't seem like that information would bring out anything good in Rena. No matter what... they knew she couldn't find out. "Mom, Ikari may be a total jerk but he's reliable, I promise!"

"It doesn't matter what you think of him, Rena." Sansa shook her head, her fingers running through the girl's purple hair. She could feel it pulse underneath her touch as she pulled Rena in for a rather tight hug, causing the girl to try and struggle her way out of her mother's grip. It was too late to stop the awakening and this would only get more painful for her in the future. Her body would go through its changes, properly adjusting to fit the abilities she would show within a year.

Sansa had a year to make sure she wouldn't become the Rena from before. A year to change her fate and make sure she wouldn't rise to her blood mother's side. She was grateful that nobody had mentioned it, but now was a critical point of time in the girl's life. Sansa swore she'd drive it into Rena- that her blood mother was something she didn't need.

As Sansa pulled away, she rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter what you think because the Hidden Sand wouldn't let someone as shady as him walk around alone anyways." With a shrug, she began walking toward her home. "Are you all coming? Don't lag behind." As Rena watched the others brush past her, she looked back up to the Council Chambers, her eyebrows furrowing. Where on earth could Gaara be? Wouldn't he want to celebrate with her?

She shook off her thoughts. He was probably waiting for Sansa to leave her alone so he could sneak in. Maybe if she went home, she'd find him in her room! She shifted her course, turning around and jogging to catch up with the others. There was so much she had to do, including convince Sansa to allow her to continue to be a Shinobi.


	23. 23 - Playing With Darkness

"You're back."

The voice was enough to send chills down Kana's spine. She didn't feel too good, her cuts and bruises littering her body. She had no time to stop. They had taken everything from her. All of her team members were dead. The man who had taught her all he knew- vanished. His stuff had still been there, so she assumed they had taken him. It was disgusting. She didn't even know what she was going to do. All she knew was she wanted Rena to suffer for everything she no longer had. "I failed."

"I know."

Kana didn't know how to approach Tsukiyoji. His voice was low, strands of hair masking his eyes as he moved his head, hair falling from his shoulder. He stared at her with dead eyes, unimpressed, with a will of cold ice. "She took everything from me, my Lord. Please... please..." Kana collapsed, sobbing, only for Tsukiyoji's cold hand to brush against her cheek, raising her head, looking deep within her.

"Then we shall do the same. We shall take back what she took in blood." His head turned as he began to weave his hand signs at a blindingly fast speed, coughing a little as he spat up some blood. He struggled to stand to his feet as Kana supported him. "Forbidden Technique; Illusion Becomes Reality."

Kana took a step back, letting go of Tsukiyoji and backing up as a figure began to form from sunlight. The very dust itself formed a body, white hair framing a face with rather tanned skin. As the figure opened its eyes, standing naked before them, she could see the blues of the ocean. He stood, his eyelids fluttering, looking at his hands in a form of muted curiosity. "I am..."

"My creation. A new life, birthed from the realms of the illusionary made real. From now on, for as long as I live, you cannot defy me." Tsukiyoji staggered forward, his chest heaving as he pressed a hand to the boy's chest. "I order you to live only for the purpose of my clan, only for the purposes of those who have lost everything to the demon... " As the light shone on Tsukiyoji, Kana gasped, averting her eyes from his hideous appearance. So this is what the Eternal Curse looked like... "Mugen."

"I am... Mugen."

"You are Mugen Hikari if it suits you. Mugen Uchiha if you need to. Mugen Hyuga if you feel like it. You are the illusion of this world's dreams; all of my bitter rage and hatred, fueled by the life of the Eternal Curse and made flesh and reality by the power of your ancestors handed down to me and stored in my being. I cannot match my sister, but you... have much work to do and much to explore and unlock within yourself. I have given you the keys, but you must unlock the gate. Go, now. Follow Kana to your destiny."

Mugen's head turned to Kana and she didn't think she could move. "Just... what the hell is that...?"

"It is a monster given life; a being made solely to match my sister. If only I was strong enough to bend the fabric of reality any more than this, I could do so much more..." Tears rolled down his cheeks, his dead eyes betraying what emotion he seemed to feel. "I could become who I was before I cursed myself, seal this dreaded power and put our progenitor's abilities to sleep... destroy my sister, all in one... but I am not my progenitor and I am no hero." He gestured to Mugen, who was as silent as a mouse. "This is the best I could do- create a being that can go above and beyond my own strength... for that's all I have left." Tsukiyoji sputtered blood, collapsing to the floor as he could feel a torrent come up from his broken and battered body, the curse sinking deeper as it sucked the very life from him to make up for the power he had used to bring someone with such potential into existence. "Do not fail me... Mugen."

"Lord Tsukiyoji!" Kana gasped, kneeling by him as he curled and twisted in cruel suffering.

"Follow the directives of Kireina, Kana. She will train you and Mugen well. She knows my will, as will you..." As he breathed, hard, gasping breaths, a few people in white robes rushed by, clearly doctors by their garb. Kana backed away, shooting a glance at Mugen, who seemed to obediently follow her without asking any questions.

If she was going to train this 'Mugen' creature, she'd need more than just her own expertise. Kirena was the only person in the Hidden Light that had gone against Sansa and won that she knew of. She was just the perfect match-up to make sure Rena sunk, not swam.

Baki watched as the children filed in through the door. He still wore his headwraps, but he was in a more casual outfit now. He felt a bit uncomfortable that Genin were invading his personal space, but he was busy dealing with all of the troubles in the Hidden Sand- more or less, the paperwork- securing things and sending letters out to minor towns along the border, saying they were sending protective squads. He was organizing all of it from his home office, and the requests coming in by their messenger birds were overwhelming. The Elder Council was handling the Daimyo and he could only imagine how much of a nightmare that was. Thank god it wasn't him.

"Baki. They'll be staying with us from now on. Send them to their rooms, I have to assist the ANBU." His day just got a little more annoying. He already had so much to do... but he guessed Sansa had more. She hadn't talked about the Kazekage since she got back. She'd also been strangely... cut off. He had known about the two of them for a long time, about how their bond matched that of his old wife's. He didn't know the details of why Sansa left Rasa, but... he could only imagine how she was feeling right now.

"Go ahead. I can take care of things here." She nodded as she body flickered away, leaving Baki in a room full of...children. He wasn't feeling enthusiastic about it, but he waved them over. They seemed to circle around him with their devil-eyes and devilish thoughts. They were probably thinking about breaking everything in the house. He wouldn't allow that to happen.

For the most part, the Sukuma were quiet, but their brood was known for their rowdy youths. Going by the assumption that these little monsters were the same as his own Family's, there would be no mistakes. Rena broke away from the group, causing Baki to turn his head at a speed that cracked his neck. Su jumped back, startled by the unexpected noise, but what was scarier were Baki's eyes, bloodshot and targeting her, although she paid no mind to them. "Don't go off on your own!"

"I'm going up to my room!"

As Rena dashed up the stairs, ignoring Baki's calls to return, he almost threw up his hands in defeat. He supposed she was sort of allowed to, maybe even homesick. She'd find her room was exactly as she left it as she ripped open the door, slamming it shut behind her and exploring her old home. The bed was a single, as expected. On the nightstand, a single photo of her and Sansa, the day she'd been promoted to some sort of rank by the Kazekage. On the other side, she and Gaara as children. As she picked up the photo frame, brushing through the thin film of dust with her index finger, she stared at him, her eyes softening. "Gaara?" She whispered, looking up and turning around, searching for him. She was sure he would be there.

But there was nothing. She looked under the bed, trying to scan for any hint of sand, any twist that Gaara had at least been there. She wrenched open her closet doors, pulling out all of her now-tiny clothes, piling them on the floor behind her. She opened the window, her eyes searching desperately for the boy she loved, but her heart sunk when she realized that he wasn't coming. That he wouldn't be coming. Why? Had she done something wrong?

Maybe he didn't love her. Maybe she had pressured him into saying it because she had said it so much that it made him uncomfortable. Or maybe he was just... his old self. Another painful pang ran through her as she thought of the moment where he stopped the Elders. She wondered where that would have gone, had Kankuro not stepped in after him.

As she fell back onto her bed, she hugged the picture to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut. She hoped that eventually, he'd come into her room, even if it was through the window. Like that, she drifted peacefully to sleep despite her worries, lost in a sea of calmness.

But still, darkness slumbered within...

* * *

**X**

**Hidden Leaf**

_**Setsuna Mansion**_

**X**

* * *

"You can't just take my right to go outside like this! First, it was you can't leave the house, now it's you can't leave the tower? You're building a tower for me. A TOWER! Doesn't that scream 'I'm locked up, please help me?'"

"Chisa..." Her father pinched the bridge of his nose as he set his glasses down, folding one hand over the other as he grimaced at her. "You have a legacy to uphold. You are the sole heir to our fortune. With the current stunt the Hidden Sand pulled and the way you tried to sneak out, it's just not smart to leave you out in the open."

"Why couldn't my brother just-"

"Your brother is a bastard!"

It was true, her brother was born from a tryst her father had just before the arranged marriage was settled. It was insulting, but he had covered it up perfectly. "You didn't even know what I was going to say, father. Why couldn't he just protect me outside? All would be fine!"

"Because you and your brother have an uncanny resemblance, Chisa. The tabloids would eat it up. Rumours would spread. Our way of life as you know it would be endangered and your brother..." His eyes shot to the boy, who stood in the corner of the room, masked by shadows, his blonde bangs falling over his eyes. "Well, I don't think I'd have to tell you the series of events that would happen as a direct result. He was born to protect you, Chisa, but not off of these grounds or outside of our caravans unless attacked."

"What's the point of inheriting it all if you're just going to lock me away and stop me from seeing the world that I have to cooperate with?! Let me become a shinobi! Let me have the chance to protect myself!"

"Chisa!" Her father barked. "The Setsuna name will not be sullied with death! Shiga, take her away. Make sure nobody gets in... or out... of that tower." Although Chisa moved, her brother was faster as he clasped a hand over her mouth and struggled, but she couldn't beat his strength as she was dragged back into the shadows, disappearing and watching her father fade from her sight. If only she had been born the bastard rather than the heir... then she, too, would have a chance to taste a life of exciting danger. She wanted to be saved from this trap... she wanted to live her life, not waste it!

It was clear, however, there was no prince coming to save her from the tower for a very long time...

**X**

* * *

**X**

Sansa stood in the Kazekage's chambers, looking around his room. Things she couldn't fathom welled up in her as someone came up behind her, their mask still fastened to their face, but her voice betrayed her attempt to hide her gender. "Sansa. There is nothing here. This room was searched twice over. I'm afraid that we are grasping at straws."

"Go back to the Kuki. To Kasai. Tell her she fulfilled her purpose well; that in service to her Kazekage this moment will be remembered." Sansa turned her head to the ANBU member, who nodded, placing a hand over her heart as she bowed slightly. "You do good work, Ibame, but I... would like to continue my search alone."

"Understood, Lady Sansa. I will depart now." As she body flickered away, the silence felt like roaring thunder; she was truly alone. Even her betrayal to Baki seemed to take second place to her worry of where the Kazekage was... and if it had been the Kazekage she'd been with. He'd been acting weird all night and she hadn't noticed. What if it had been a call for help? She walked forward, wanting to sit on the bed, take in his scent and memorize it, just in case the worst had truly come to pass, but her feet bumped into the board below, which made a rather hollow sound. As she flipped the covers over the bed, she leaned down, rapping her knuckles against the wood before prying it away, the board popping out rather easily. She could see something in the darkness as she reached out, grabbing what seemed to be a cardboard box.

She put it on the bed before sitting next to it, digging through the files. A few letters to his ex-wife. Some to his children. But most... most of them were to her. With shaking hands, she unfolded one that looked fresher than the others, less weathered. She read it aloud, but she heard his voice, felt his presence beside her.

"Sansa, I don't know how to say this. I'm a prideful man, something we both know very well. I'm also extremely stubborn- the only one who beats me in that category is you." She almost chuckled. Their competitive bouts, who could do what better or get what done in what amount of time... who was stronger. "But the one thing I don't have experience in is admitting when I'm wrong. Even when I felt you slipping away... No, that wasn't what happened and I'm sure we both know it. I was the one that slipped away because I didn't want to acknowledge my feelings or feel like I was in the wrong. I ended up blaming a lot of that load, a lot of the damage done to our relationship, on my son." Gaara. She knew that. She knew the way he'd treated the poor boy, allowed the village to drive him to insanity. "Along the way, however, the way I felt about my son crept in and destroyed what we had. I felt disgust, anger, disappointment... defeated. Like it wasn't worth my time to try to fix it or try harder."

Sansa almost choked on the next line, her tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she realized that she wasn't the cause of their problems, nor was Gaara. All of these problems that Rasa was admitting in this letter was because of something he could never say to her face.

"I couldn't stand looking at Rena. She reminded me that she had a different father than me. I wanted so badly to be the father she needed, but all that happened the more I tried to get close to her and the more I saw her getting close to my son was further anger. It's completely natural to have more than one partner in life, but I wanted so desperately to be the only one. I didn't want to think that someone touched you the way I did, whispered sweet words into your ears... that is what started the rift between us. I can rewrite this letter, again and again, but it will never change the fact that I don't have the courage to give it to you."

Tears dripped from her eyes, staining the parchment paper. It smudged the word you as she tried to wipe them away, but she gave up and read on. "When you lost her... I really wanted to comfort you. I wanted to be the one you turned to, but I realized I had no right. I felt awful, like never before. Worse than when my wife died, you know. Although I had lost her, I never had to watch her as if I were behind a glass wall, unable to touch her as she mourned and grieved over her child. So I gave you space. I started to neglect you and avoid you, even more, dread growing every time I saw you. I'm selfish, a terrible man, Sansa. Even to Karura... I don't know if you know about her. She smiled, but I could have been better to her. And when I got a second chance, my pride got in the way again."

She did recall that sometimes, Karura wasn't always as cheerful, but the woman had always carried the burden with a smile. She could respect her. If anyone could stand by Rasa, it was Karura. "I wanted it to end but I didn't know how. My first contact with Orochimaru was dark and dreary, but he promised that he would bring not only income to the Hidden Sand, but return something he'd originally stolen. I wondered what he could have taken from us, but he fed me small hints with every meeting until finally, I realized that it was Rena. I made a deal with him- He releases her, I give him whatever he wants. Anything. He said that he wanted her to be a shinobi, Sansa, that he wanted her trained and happy, acting normally in the village. A monster like that, wanting something so... trivial?" Her nails dug into the paper as she read on. Rasa had known about Rena... for god knows how long. "I don't know how long you can stop her from being what he wants her to be. I know more than you think I do. I know you're not who you say you are, and that, Sansa, Rena does not have a father." Her heart almost stopped. "And like that, all of my pride vanished, leaving only emptiness. My first thought after what he told me was selfish, wanting to throw you out or have you killed for treason, but I realized that everything you have done, everything you are, has been for Rena. You sacrificed everything for her. Any meaningful relationship you ever created, any chance at power, any chance at love. Any chance to have your own family. And in doing so, you became the strongest force I have ever come across. I am awed by you, Sansa, every day I look at you. I fall even more in love despite knowing you are engaged to one of my closest friends. You did something for a child that wasn't even yours, truly. And meanwhile... the way I treated mine... someone like you with such a loving heart didn't belong with someone like me. I understand everything, Sansa."

Rasa had known all of that. How long...? How long did he look at her, at Rena, and know the truth about them? It was so painful to keep reading, but this was the cold, raw truth. No more secrets. Everything she had been keeping from the people she loved... Rasa had known. It would have made everything so much easier. The burden... this burden she carried, all on her own, now felt like it was a load off of her shoulders. "I don't know what will happen in the future. I hope to object to your wedding or find some way to take you back from Baki. I'm a damn selfish man, Sansa... I take and take and take and all you are is someone who gives. You have always given me your all. It almost makes me want to stay out of your way and let you live your life, but I want you. I want to do right by you. I'd do anything for you, anything to catch your attention. I want both you and your daughter- our daughter- to have as much as I can give you. So... I'm going to accept his deal, no matter what it brings, and stand with the both of you until the end. Love, Rasa."

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed, the letter dropping to the floor as she remembered the day all of this began. One of the days she was trying to get close to him to ease the pain of losing Karura.

_You should write to Karura, you know._

_Why would I do that? What's the point? She's dead. The dead can't read._

_The dead may not be able to read, but I think that if you took the time to write the words you can't say out loud, then maybe a burden will be lifted from your shoulders. It's something I used to do._

_You? What kind of burden would you have?_

_Ah, Kazekage. Don't judge a book by its cover, my regrets might just surprise you._

_Don't bother me with this subject any longer._

As she looked through the letters, she felt like she was invading his privacy, but she couldn't stop. The earliest dated one was the very day she had told him to start writing. She noticed a pattern; they began slow, most devoted to Karura, but they slowly ebbed into him writing his feelings on everything, including her. He had asked for forgiveness, even though he felt it silly because he was having feelings for another woman; it felt like he was betraying his marriage, but he knew that Karura would want him to be happy. Gaara rarely came up as a subject, but when he did... it wasn't happy words. It was night by the time she had looked at all of the letters. As she covered the box once more, she placed it back in its hiding spot, putting the board back over it. Her eyes were raw as she rubbed at them and she knew.

There couldn't be any more mistakes. No more secrets. A relationship was there to share burdens, not make more. Even if she couldn't tell Rena, she had to... she had to talk to Baki. As she walked down the road, she reached the porch of her house, where he looked up from lighting a cigarette only to drop it, rushing over to her as she cried in his arms, spilling everything. No matter how much it hurt, she was sure that they would be able to bear that pain together.

Although many of the denizens of the house were sleeping, a few remained awake. Baki and Sansa were talking quietly outside, while Rena laid awake, looking at the ceiling. Gaara hadn't come to see her... how could she fall asleep? He was staying away. Why? She could feel the loneliness echo through her, worry keeping her awake. Had something happened to him? She was going crazy! As she got up, moving out of her bed, she opened her window, looking up at the sky and feeling the cool desert breeze on her skin. A shadow moved in the backyard below, catching her eye. Who was that?! As she propped herself up on the windowsill, she jumped out, landing quietly below. This is the kind of stealth that would surely get her good marks in any shinobi academy!

She raced after the shadow, alleyway through alleyway, but lost it around the center of the town. "Dammit!" She snapped, turning her head from side to side. Great, whoever she had been tracking got away. What if it had been Gaara?! Well, it would make sense that it would be him who gave her the slip. He was amazing, after all. As her face flushed, she held her hands to her chest, trying to calm her viciously beating heart. Just the thought of it being him who she was chasing made her like this... really, how could she face him?

But it hadn't been Gaara, even though Rena desperately wanted it to be him. No, the person creeping through the streets at night was not the red haired boy, but a boy with jet black hair and sclera. Ikarinochi snuck through the streets, victorious in his efforts to shake his pursuer. It had been quite easy, actually, considering most of the streets in the Hidden Sand connected and wound through one another.

As he descended into the emergency evacuation exit for the Hidden Sand, he realized that they were majorly unstaffed- normally something like this should be guarded by at least one person, but they'd suffered great losses when Orochimaru pulled back. It almost made the job he'd been given pitifully easy, to the point where he considered telling the operative to simply find a way in themselves. But still, as he climbed out and went ten clicks north, the walk feeling rather long and agonizing for him.

But as he saw the operative, huddled under her cloak, sitting atop a branch in a dead tree surrounded by what looked like rather battle-ready shinobi, he couldn't help but wonder aloud. "I'm here, so what's going on? I have a way in for you." As they turned their heads to watch him, they were dead silent. The way they carried themselves, stand-offish and silent, meant they weren't at all close with the Hikari operative. "Did you bring friends?"

"No. Customers. I'm going to escort them into the Hidden Sand. It's on lockdown, after all." She jumped down from the tree, her feet hitting the ground with soft thuds. As she walked forward, they followed. "I was told to find someone and guide them to said person. It's for a reason, but we require further funding."

It didn't seem like these shinobi really cared about her reasons as they continued on, but she stopped halfway in the tunnel into the village. As he turned around, the other shinobi kept on walking. She simply shrugged her shoulders, before moving over to the wall, pressing her hand on it and shifting, disappearing into it with a single wave goodbye. He didn't really care what she was doing, but he was curious about the people she'd brought with her.

He was walking behind him when suddenly three split off from the group and one turned their head to gaze at him. His blade made a rather metallic sound as it slid from its sheath, glinting in the desert moonlight. "Know it gives me no pleasure to do this, kid, but you're not on the list of witnesses allowed to live."

"So you're doing something wrong, then?"

"Don't assume you know what we're here for."

"Then why would you be threatening me like this if I didn't know? Is what you're doing here so bad you need to erase whoever saw you?"

"You know, kid, you were recently put in the bingo book, wanted for the murder of a lord's children. You must be stupid. I may only deal with the missing, but I think I can make an exception for scum like you."

Ikari's expression darkened. "And now who's the one assuming?" In a flash, the blade pressed against his neck, a cut welling up as the Jonin clearly had him outmatched in speed.

"All I can grant you is a quick death, kid." As he swung back to slice Ikari's head cleanly from his shoulders, despite his long, sweeping motion, his sword-hand trembled. "What...?"

As the blade had touched Ikari's neck to sever his head, it shattered into tangible pieces. Ikari's eyes narrowed, before he shrugged, rolling his eyes. "When you were the only one left, I figured you'd pull something like that. I'm not as cool as someone who can do it on the spot, but with a little bit of time and effort, I'll be able to activate my Kekkai Genkai instantly rather than after thirty seconds without hand-signs."

"A... Kekkai Genkai?!" The man leapt back, but it was too late for that now as Ikari rose his hand. The shards of his blade swirled around Ikari as he stepped forward.

"Are you really... a hunter nin from Kirigakure? Since you're called the Hunter Nin, your reputation is all about how good you are about getting rid of bodies. I guess nobody had to say you're actually good at the fighting part, though." The man ducked and weaved as the boy sent shard after shard flying after him like little homing blades, all with his hands in his pockets. Something caught the Hunter-Nin's eye, though, black blood seeping from the wound he had previously inflicted, just a small cut.

Although it was a simple technique known to all, the Hunter Nin had a few guesses as to what had happened to break his blade, but he analyzed that it was most likely skin contact. It was either the touch of his blade to Ikari's flesh or the fact he cut the boy. Seeing his eyes follow his movements meant that whatever he was doing, he had to have eyes on the Hunter Nin to find him with the blade pieces. The Hunter Nin performed his hand-signs, mist silently spewing from his mouth and thickening. Ikari took a few steps back, his eyes hardening before a blow to the side caused pain to bloom across it. He turned around, his blood bursting out of the wound to catch the aggressor, but it was impossible- he'd dropped his blade.

His voice was everywhere and nowhere at once. "You've been fighting genin battles up until now, boy. Your ego will be the end of you, especially when you signal your abilities so loudly." He'd analyzed Ikari that quickly?! As Ikari moved again, he tripped over something, skidding across the ground. The Jonin knew that he couldn't make Ikari bleed, or touch his skin in any way. He hadn't narrowed it down to one or the other, but he'd play it smart for now.

As the smoke cleared, the man coming in from the front and angling his jagged blade, thrusting it into Ikari's throat. Nobody could recover from a puncture like that. Blood seeped from the wound, Ikari's face stuck in a state of shock...

As Rena wandered around, searching for Gaara, she realized that she was lost. Even though she felt like she could navigate the streets, they had changed plenty within the past six years. Nothing was as she remembered it- even the dry desert air had changed just a bit. She paused, staring off into the distance as something in front of her moved. "...Gaara?" She called out, her voice steeped in desperation. However, it wasn't Gaara that stepped out of the showers, but a man with a cloak draped over his shoulders. She took a step back- his face was masked, which meant she was unable to ascertain his identity.

"Rena Hikari... you've been marked for assassination. As per request, the message I've been told to give you is... _Go back to the snake and the puppet, interloper. You don't belong here_." Rena's eyes widened. Only a few people knew of Orochimaru, but Sasori...?! Her eyes narrowed as they dashed around the area, looking for some form of escape. This didn't bode well for her time here- Sasori told her that nobody could know, or Tsukiyomi and Suno are as good as gone. She pulled a kunai from her pouch, squeezing it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. There were no other options- for their sake, she had to make this guy talk! But how...!? Nobody would send a novice assassin, but she wouldn't expect someone to send one at all!

She flashed forward, putting all she had in going on the aggressive, but a frontal attack wouldn't work. The man easily dodged, one after the other, never attacking himself. "Who are you?!" She yelled, not actually expecting a response.

"Loyal to those who should lead this village, not the dying breed that is the Suna Family."

Damn it! Who was this jerk, spitting in the face of the Kazekage and everyone she cared about!? They traded strikes, dodging and weaving, but it was clear he was matching her, blow for blow rather than getting straight into the killing. He wasn't striking with the intent to kill, or even lightly maim... was he really an assassin? Although the strikes rang out into the night, nobody could possibly hear them... it seemed like he slipped up, as Rena's hand shot out, dislodging the mask from his face and pulling it down, exposing purple eyes and a beauty mark under the assassin's left. His eyes widened and he struck out, cutting into her arm. The bandages she had kept on began to fall off, exposing that her arm was completely fine despite the red blood that stained it- he seemed to stare down at his blade for a second as the droplets of purple ran down the ridges and dripped into the sand. Rena's hand clasped her wound, purple seeping between her fingers as she glared at him.

He turned, dashing off, but she wouldn't just let him do that. She took to the rooftops as well, chasing him with max speed. They vaulted over clotheslines, dashing through small rooftop alleys, the pursued and the pursuer. She wouldn't stop! There was no way she'd be defeated by her lack of ability! The harder she pushed herself, the more her lungs burned. She wanted to collapse to the ground and wheeze, but she couldn't- she paced her breaths, speeding up. She only saw her target, her eyes narrowing as she reached out to grab him, fingertips brushing against the material that was his cloak...

But a burst of sand caught the corner of her eye and she stopped, the man disappearing into the darkness as she teetered on the edge of the building, her head snapping, relief filling her in droves as she stared at the boy she missed so dearly...

His sand was fast, as fast as it had ever been as he raised it in the air, a sigh escaping his lips. "So you won't tell me anything."

His captive remained silent, but as soon as Gaara closed his fist there was no longer a captive. Blood rained from the sky above and Gaara winced, the showers reminding him of the countless lives he'd taken before. His actions were faster than hers, his hand whipping in her direction, tendrils of sand reaching out, wrapping around her wrists as she stared at him in shock. As he turned his head, clearly stunned by seeing her there, his sand collapsed, falling to the earth from which it came. "G-Gaara..." She reached out to him.

"Rena..." He looked like a cornered dog as he stepped away from her, bursting into sand and high-tailing it out of there. She grabbed her chest, a painful beat causing her to collapse to her knees. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she wondered what she could have done in a past life to deserve this kind of treatment. Why was he treating her like this? What was the point? Her hands balled into fists as she shrieked into the night,

"Fine! I didn't want to see you anyways! You annoy the hell out of me! Don't ever show up in front of me ever again!" It was a childish, stupid comment, but it was enough. Enough to hurt him, the boy who wanted nothing more than to reach out to the girl that he could feel a rift forming between their bond, protect her and be the one she needed. As Sansa had said, he wasn't the right one for her. He couldn't give her what Kankuro could. And her wish... All he could do was grant it as he disappeared into the night, fully. No more stalking her in the darkness. From now on... he wouldn't see her again. No matter how much it pained him, how much he suffered, it was his time to bear this burden. She had given him so much- it was all he could do to return the favour. To give her the life she truly deserved.

What he didn't hear, however, were her weak sobs as she tried to brush the tears from her eyes. "Why... won't you just talk to me? Am I that... that..." She didn't know what word she should choose. "Repulsive...?"

**You are repulsive.**

The voice tolled in her head like a funeral bell; as she clutched her arms, trying to draw her limbs in as close as possible to try and curl into a ball. As she clutched her chest, the feeling within her grew stronger. "I'm not..."

**Then why is he running away?**

"Who...?" Her vision was blurred, but she swore she could see someone- or something- standing above her, reaching out its hand to her.

**The only one who thinks you aren't repulsive.**

"Su doesn't think that! Tsukiyomi doesn't! Suno and Ikari-"

**Since when do they matter?**

"Wh...what?"

**You keep telling yourself that you care about all of these distractions, Rena. That's your problem. That's why he's running from you- all of these insignificant, minor side-characters in a story where you and him are the main characters- the only ones that matter. You lost your way, child. He can sense it- you don't care enough about him anymore.**

"No! I care about him! I care about him a lot!"

**No. It's not enough. You don't care solely about him. He isn't the only reason you're breathing anymore and that's why he doesn't want you.**

"You're lying!"

**Well, why don't you try to ask him yourself?**

"He won't let me approach him..."

**Let us take care of that for you, child. Take my hand...**

The being offered it to her, and although hesitant, it rose... and finally clasped the ice-cold hand of the beast. As if an illusion came over her, she began running over rooftops, only coming to a stop an undetermined amount of time later. Suddenly, she woke up, her eyes gaining back the light and pain she had in them before.

**We will show you the truth. Only we have the ability to get you the answers you seek. You should not trust anyone around you. Tonight, we will prove that to you... that everyone but us is a monster, keeping secrets that you should rightfully know. You only need to put your trust in our capable hands.**

He could still sense her reluctance, but bit by bit, that shield was ebbing away. Her negativity, all of the darkness inside of her, was roaring up once more. Just a bit more... and the preparations would be complete. As he lead her to the edge of the rooftops, a man stopped in front of her. He was shrouded, like the previous assassin and she realized she may need to defend herself, but her hands didn't raise. She felt like there was no point. He had nothing to do with Gaara. He had nothing to do with anything. Even as he moved toward her, with clear intent to hurt her, she felt like she couldn't move in any way.

"Why... are you just standing there?!" Although Gaara had moved away, he was surprised at how she'd found his hiding spot so quickly. And that assassin... his hand twitched, his sand surrounding and restraining the man. "You... do you have a death wish?"

It was only Gaara's voice who snapped her out of her stupor, as she looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Why... why are you avoiding me?!" She wanted to know, wanted for him to communicate, to say anything other than confirming that what the voice said was true. As he crushed the assassin, more blood seeping into his sand, he struggled to find the words to reply to her. She had endangered herself just to talk to him. Just to get an answer.

"Because... there's better people around you than me now." He looked away from her momentarily, sighing, defeated. "You don't need me anymore. You have all you need to make a perfect life for yourself." He moved his head back, eyes widening as he realized, the moonlight crossing the rooftop, that she was no longer there. Her presence was just gone.

She could feel nothing but darkness surrounding her. Although cold, it was comforting, spitting her back out into the world as she detached from a wall halfway across the village from where it had swallowed her.

**Do you trust us now?**

She took a moment to weigh her options, but it was clear there was a shift in her demeanour. "You're right. I haven't been focusing on Gaara enough. I trust you. What else do you have to show me?"

**...Very well. Your mother is planning on turning you into a weapon.**

"Sansa? Why would she...?"

**She's not your mother, helpless child.**

"What... do you mean...?"


	24. 24 - Night Of The Assassins

Rena could hear familiar voices, which distracted her from the pull of wanting to know more She turned, the bright light of the porch lantern catching her eye. "You were brave enough to tell me all of this."

"I understand if you want to leave, Baki. Knowing that I've lied to you about who I am, who Rena is, my entire life. If I hadn't, our past would've caught up with us."

"You've done some things that would damage a normal relationship, Sansa. When I proposed to you, I promised I would remain by your side, no matter what comes. I intend to keep that promise. Even if Rena's real mother comes for her, we'll stand against that psychopath together."

**What did we tell you...? A psychopath is what they call your mother. Imagine what they call you when you're not looking... not to mention, everyone else knows. Everyone.**

"They would have told me...!"

**You have no friends, child. None but us. Nobody will tell you the truth but us. Nobody deserves your trust but us. Even Gaara fails to tell you the truth when you need it most because they're afraid you'll be a psychopath like your mother... Your real mother.**

"Why... why won't they trust me?!" Hurt was replaced with a boiling, insufferable rage. She wanted to strike, lash out against everyone and anyone, bring everything down with her. Why would they keep something so important from her unless they didn't trust her love for them?!

**Your mother intends on making you a weapon, but what if we told you that we could make it so that your free will trumps all? Your mother will erase everything you are, but if you trust me... when the time comes, we can ruin everything she tried to make you into.**

"Anything... Anything to get out of this feeling. I don't know what it is, but it hurts. It's so hot. It hurts like someone is sticking needles in my heart...! Please...!"

**Then you will have to forget.**

"Forget... ? But...! Everything they say about me, all of their lies...!"

**You will not remember a thing about the past two hours, child, until the time comes when she awakens the weapon within you. You will not know me. We will have to meet again.**

"Wait. Can I at least leave myself a note? Something that... something that will tell me that I can't trust anyone else?"

**No.**

"Why not?!"

**Even the slightest mistake will ruin our plan. Nobody but you and I, trapped in this moment, may know.**

"Who are you...?"

The being was silent for a second as if it was thinking of a way to introduce itself.

**I am Akito Hikari, the Black Cat, a demon sealed within you by the hands of Sansa Hikari and your true mother. Now, sleep. I will return you to your proper place... and we shall drive the world to ruin together.**

She couldn't hear the last part, but she felt a need to sleep, aggressive and impossible to resist. As she fell to the ground, she wouldn't even remember being outside- she would only know that she fell asleep, waiting for Gaara to return...

As he crept into her bedroom, he brushed a tuft of hair from her face, causing her eyes to flutter open. As the two stared at one another, she shot up, giving him a smile. "Gaara! I've been waiting for so long!" He couldn't say anything, confused, as she embraced him, pulling him down onto the bed. He flushed red, but gave into her hug, her scent, having missed her. He knew he shouldn't and that this would only cause more suffering for her, that eventually, he'd have to give her up and if he didn't do it now it would be so much worse when he was forced to. He closed his eyes, nuzzling her chest, basking in her warmth. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" She asked, drowsily. It was clear she was a bit out of it.

"In the end, I just can't stay away from you for long. Allow me to be selfish for a bit longer." He held her tighter, embracing her, his heart hammering away in his chest so hard he thought it would jump out and fly across the room. This... was this the love he had been seeking all along? Ever since he acknowledged it, it seemed so different from what he had first felt. Every day, his feelings grew. Every moment spent with her, he cherished her more. Every thought he had about her, the harder it was to stay away or think of other things. In the end, when she disappeared, it had answered a question he had been struggling with; could he bear to be without her? Even at a distance?

It was so wrong. His brother was supposed to marry her. Even though Gaara loved her first. Even though he had said it first. Even though he had suffered the most because she was gone...! Even though every time he had to face the Shukaku, every time he saw his sand, he blamed himself and it! The days he thought he'd murdered the person he held dear to him, it was enough to almost drive him to ruin. If he'd lost her for real, if she somehow died after this... could he control himself? He'd learned so much, but he didn't think anything could prepare him for how painful love truly was.

A figure crept next to Su's bed. They rose their knife in the air before bringing it down, stabbing into the sleeping figure. As they tried to pull it out, however, they found the knife stuck. As they tried to let go of the knife, they felt increasing pressure on their skin, binding them to the handle no matter which way they struggled. As webs came down on them, Su landed on their back, the glint of her paper-thin single thread making a mark of blood against their neck. "My brother should have sent more of you."

"You're a murderer and a fugitive. I don't regret coming here to try and kill you after what you did to my son...!" Su froze at the sound of the voice. He...he was... the moment she faltered, he threw her off of him, causing her to slam into a wall and slide down it. She struggled to stand up, coughing and wheezing as she brandished a kunai, staring down her assassin. "You deserve everything you're about to get, you monster."

Her grip on her kunai tightened. How could she fight him? No, how could she kill one of her closest friend's parents?

"We treated you like you were one of our own, Su. We let you be his friend and you murdered him!"

"It wasn't me!" She replied, feeling panicked. How could she deal with something like this?!

"Liar!" He spat, jumping at her, kunai clashing against kunai.

Sansa whipped her head toward the crashing sound, but a kunai sailing towards her gave her no time to check on the kids. She clasped her hands together in hand signs as the attacker stepped into the light. Hunter nin. Fuck, she thought. Knew it was a bad idea to take in these kids. Yet she couldn't say no to Rena when it counted most. "What do you want?"

"Sansa of the Sand, Devil Tactician. I know you have many names. Give me what I want and we don't need to fight any longer."

"Judging by the sounds upstairs, in my house, the fight has already started." And she was none too amused about it. As the two glared at one another, the tension raised to the roof. "Baki. You know the drill. Help the kids. I got things covered here."

"That is a bold statement. All you need to do is give up the girl."

"Fat chance. Should've sent a carrier pigeon asking nicely." As Baki ran into the house, dashing up the stairs, she got into a fighting stance, more than ready to take him on. "Then I could have at least wasted your time for a few days with a long, drawn-out 'Fuck you.'"

The Hunter Nin launched himself at her, but was met with a white, menacing cloud of smoke. He bounced back, not wanting to get caught in a trap, but he heard the words, "Summoning Jutsu!" He cracked his knuckles with his pinkies, one by one. A mere summon couldn't beat him. The smoke cleared and Sansa stood, alone, as the wind blew her hair over her shoulders.

"No summon?"

"Check again, kiddo." Her thumb pointed at the cloud behind her, where something twisted and writhed, shielded from view. As the smoke cleared, the Hunter Nin's expression turned sour, a scream heard as he took his final breath. "And that... is precisely why you should never fight someone older than you. Unlike today's summons, mine comes from a place long abandoned." Sansa lit a cigarette, taking a small puff before hearing the commotion upstairs subside. Shrugging, she kicked the pile of dust at her feet, watching it fade into the desert breeze. Turning and entering her house, she shut the door behind her. She was too fucking tired to deal with the paperwork tonight.

"You failed." The sound of running water was all that he heard as he glanced around the bathhouse. "Did I not tell you that this was possibly one of the most important things you had to do, child?"

The boy removed his mask, sighing. "I'm sorry, Lady Merui. She almost exposed my identity and we'd have more issues with that than I'm willing to risk everything for. I can't do much if I'm executed for something like this."

The old woman's feet echoed on the bathhouse tiles. Pillars of marble surrounded the pool; it was closed at this time, not that either intruder cared. "Kira. It doesn't matter how you do it, get that girl out of the village before they-" Merui stopped herself, momentarily, sighing. "Before they realize that she's not the one we're after. I want proper justice and to do that, there needs to be a scapegoat. You're dismissed for tonight, but finish your job properly, or there will be problems."

Kira nodded, bowing before body flickering away. Merui looked at her reflection in the water. Only a fool would assume they were alone. The voice came, soft and sensual, like a seduction- one that promised power and wealth beyond anyone's imagination. "Merui. I see you're keeping our deal secret."

Merui turned, her face blank. Her opinion on the matter was clear; she wasn't amused. "Orochimaru. Do you think this is my first time getting rid of a Kazekage? As promised, I've prepared the forbidden Jutsu for you. But... didn't you suffer losses in the Hidden Leaf as well? I heard you were injured beyond repair."

Orochimaru chuckled, but he shook his head. "In the end, I was. I'm not actually Orochimaru, girl. I'm simply one of his followers, here to collect in his stead. He figured you'd want to speak to him and that anyone else would be rather... Uncomfortable."

Merui shook her head, sighing as she picked something up off of the table beside the pool, handing it to the pretender. "As long as this finds its way to Orochimaru, I don't care who you are. Keep what you know a secret, monster. Thank him for me when you see him next."

"Do you feel no regret or guilt over what you've done?" The soldier questioned, tilting their head in a fashion she'd expect to see in Orochimaru. "It was a question he wanted me to ask you."

"Not even here, and attempting to provoke me. As always. Tell him that as long as I get my way, there's no time for guilt or regret. I do what must be done for the future of the Hidden Sand and trust me when I say the Suna Family is not going to cut it. They are weak. Rasa, especially. His final days were spent writing love letters and hiding them under his bed. He can't even kill his own son." Merui turned, laughing, her shoulders shaking. "I will not make his mistakes. His son will die. The Hidden Sand will be the greatest Hidden Village in the known world. My offspring, their offspring, and the offspring that come next will know security and superiority. The Hidden Sand will bow to no-one."

"Orochimaru says that he is excited to see the results play out for years to come and that he will be keeping a close watch on the events to come. He thanks you for this forbidden delicacy- Although the previous owner of this technique may come after you should he find it in the possession of my master."

"That's just like Orochimaru- to record a message before getting a response." Merui shook her head. "This forbidden Jutsu belongs to my family just as it does to the one who I enlisted to kill the Third Kazekage. My skill of puppetry is what truly brought this technique to life. Sasori merely assisted."

However, the man was gone, as if he'd never been there in the first place. Merui supposed she shouldn't expect him to stick around for a conversation; after all, she had to make preparations to allow certain hunting squads to find the Kazekage's body... within due time.

The sun began to rise on the Hidden Sand, blood shining in the light. Although there were only a few droplets, black mixed with red, Ikari's entire frame covered in cuts. He began to hyperventilate, his chest rising and falling with intense speed, but all breathing paused and his face turned white as the figure stepped in front of him. "This is a real war, boy. You must be willing to do anything. You don't interest me. You have nothing in common with me and I wouldn't die for you ... but I would die for Owari. Any of us would and that's the true glue keeping us together. We want to see what kind of world she desires."

"What are you...?"

"I am Fuyuki Hikari." A pleasant smile spread across her face, the sunlight hitting it at a perfect angle, banishing the shadows away; red streaked across her body, glinting and gleaming in the sunlight as something crawled underneath her skin. "And my blood is one of the strongest, most beautiful, styles in the entire history of the Hikari, praised by Lady Owari herself." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face, her cheeks flushing a light purple. She licked her lips, a similar colour, but it wasn't Rena's purple- a light lavender. He didn't know what it meant, only knowing what most of the primary Hikari colours held- purple, black, pink and blue. He'd never heard of lavender. He thought he knew everything he had to know about the Hikari, but just when he felt comfortable... they unleashed thugs into the Hidden Sand. Fuyuki's eyes never left Ikari, but he sighed, shaking off the fear. She had, after all, saved him.

In mere moments, he would die. There was nothing he could do about this situation. But still, he thought. How could he get out of this? How could he save himself? Would everything be for nothing? Coming this far just to die here...

As the glint of the blade caught his gaze, something thin and sticky caressed his cheek. He shut his eyes, knowing it was over- but he could feel no pain. Opening them once more out of morbid curiosity, he was taken aback when suddenly pain blossomed all over his body. He watched as the Hunter Nin jumped back, poised to strike and he readied himself- when the man just fell apart before his eyes, crumpling into a mass of blood and body parts.

"Take this." The woman produced a thin vial of some grey liquid. It sloshed about but was substantially thick to the point where Ikari couldn't determine if its fast movement was an illusion. As he grabbed the vial, turning it upside down, it acted as if it was molasses or perhaps even a lava lamp, but it was so fast that it couldn't be. "It'll fix the effect of my blood."

"The effect... of your blood?" He inquired, his attention being taken away from his pressing fears.

"You know the Hikari, boy. You know of the elite assassins in the shadows. But you don't know about our ever-shifting evolution."

"The Hikari... evolve?"

"It's true. We very well can. There have been some who have changed their blood colour entirely. Some become something different while others breed it into their familial lines. My blood is a legacy type; although experiments have changed me into something else entirely."

"Wait, experiments? I mean, I was told stories about the Hikari but never anything about this." Ikari followed her as she began to dig a hole with a nearby spade from a construction site. She looked at him in annoyance as he asked his next question. "What do you mean by experiments?" She handed him a nearby spade, her gaze almost ruthless as he joined in digging.

"I told you to take what's in that vial for a reason, boy. Although, it seems your desire for power and knowledge far outshines your fear. You're truly Hikari by blood, no matter who may deny it." The more they dug, the more she would explain. "The Hikari may be subjected to experiments should they desire to strengthen their blood beyond conventional means. When they need more, our doctor will provide the knowledge to make them more. Of course, such power usually comes with drawbacks. As far as I'm concerned, that's all you need to know, Initiate. Keep digging."

"What if someone comes for him? He's a Hunter Nin, surely the Hidden Mist will-"

"Do you think I'm an idiot, boy?" The woman's eyes narrowed, piercing him with an absolute, cold glare. "As far as anyone knows, they went rogue around the Hidden Cloud tracking the fugitive. I got the treasurer's money when they entered the village; I just didn't feel like killing them then and there. The treasurer has already sent word in their code about chasing after a dead lead; far into a cold wilderness, of course."

Ikari was glad that he had chosen the winning side in the upcoming war. The Hikari were ruthless predators, feared by those who preside over their villages. It was said by Fuyuki that only the Kage and a select few had access to any knowledge about the Hikari's involvement with the past. Due to their nature and people's ideals, it was best not to expose the massive monster that had allegedly been dealt with. He sighed as he shovelled sand onto the body, topping it off. "I have to get back or Sansa will notice I'm gone."

"Fine. I can get around the village by myself." As she refastened her cloak, she seemed rather inconspicuous; more like a poor beggar on the streets than anything else, her gaudy clothing gone. "If I need you, come to the Acacia Tree in the park four blocks from here. I'll leave a message in a spider web in the tree."

"Wait." The woman paused, raising her eyebrow. She was extremely impatient to get where she wanted to go. "How will I know you need me?"

"You won't. That's why it's your responsibility to check. Never keep me waiting." As he wanted to say something about how ridiculous that was, she body flickered away, leaving nothing but footprints where she'd been standing. He stared at them for a moment before departing from the spot.

News was spreading fast about the attack. People didn't know how many of them there were yet, but it was assumed that all of them were dead. ANBU were searching for more of them, but the public didn't know where they came from. Sansa knew she'd be in hot water if people found out they came from the Hidden Mist, so she'd taken their headbands and hidden them. She'd reported that they'd been there to attack her, perhaps a result of her involvement in the storm on the Hidden Leaf. The Elder Council could do nothing but accept their statements, and, deciding not to approach the Leaf for fear of rebuttal, let it be. Quietly and nicely wrapped up, in Sansa's opinion, but she'd also been less than pleased at lunch, returning from her meeting with the elders. "I don't know who you brought in my house, Rena, but we can't have assassins dropping in every fucking Sunday, you get me?"

Rena nodded, sighing. "I didn't think-"

"That's the problem. I told you this would become a problem, didn't I? You don't think. Luckily for you, I can't kick her out, but I put myself in hot water for this shit. This better not happen again." She took a sidelong glance at Su. "For both of your sakes."

"I'm sorry," Su said, paling at the anger in Sansa's voice. She didn't quite know how to respond to the woman yet since she seemed to only have one mood and that was _don't bother me._ She heard a few sets of footsteps as Sasna walked across the room, unsure who was following her.

"Tsukiyomi. You begin training with me today."

"Hey, what about me?"

"Did you forget?" Sansa turned to her, her glare deepening, causing Rena to shrink back. "I told you you're never going to be a shinobi. I'm not going to sit here and watch you throw yourself into danger over and over again with little thought."

Rena's hands balled into fists. She looked like she was about to blow up, but she took a deep breath. "I don't know about you, but if I have proper training, I'm sure I can minimize the threat!"

"There will always be a risk with this lifestyle, Rena. I don't want that for you. I don't want you to have to look over your shoulder like Su has to." She gestured to the blind kid, not realizing the irony of her statement. "I just want you to live a normal life."

"What about what I want?" Rena turned away from Sansa, looking out the window. "Don't I have a say in that?"

"Not as long as I'm your guardian. You should be a normal kid, and live a normal life, from beginning to end, happy. I want you to die when you're ninety, not when you're fourteen."

"But you don't want the same for my friends?!"

Sansa shook her head, sighing. "Someday, you'll understand what I mean. You'll have children of your own and you'll want to do nothing but protect them, even if it makes them hate you. Your friends have had proper training."

"Not really." Suno piped in as he shovelled food into his mouth, only pausing when Sansa gave him an ice-cold glare. "I mean, of course I do."

"Suno will become a doctor. I've already signed him up for a medical shinobi program with one of Lady Chiyo's apprentices. Tsukiyomi will be training with me, for the sake of protecting the Hidden Sand. Su and Ikari are still on lock-down, but I don't mind easing up on Su if she wishes to train. If she's going to stay, she has to become a productive member of the Hidden Sand." Now she was directly speaking to Su. "I don't care if it's the work of a shinobi, or working on the streets or in a business. Do something to make up for damages the assassins caused. As long as you report back at 9:30 on the dot, you're free to go wherever you want to."

Su would've spat at her, but she knew it wouldn't go over well to spit in the face of the hand that feeds you. At this point, Sansa was giving her clothes, food and a house- and asylum from her brother. It was a new life and she really did have to prove she had what it took to belong- and stay- here.

"What about me?"

"You take a step out of this house and I'll fucking beat you within an inch of your life, you little shit." Her tone change and everyone could tell she was speaking to Ikari. "I still don't believe you have Rena's best interests in mind." Rena wondered why Sansa would be so apprehensive toward him when she sent him to save her during the Chuunin Exams. Maybe... he was all there was to save her? She'd have to talk to Sansa about it later. "Speaking of little shits, Rena, I don't know why, but the Elder Council wants to see you. You'd better go now. Keep on their good side and answer any remaining questions they might have."

"Yes, mother."

Sansa froze. Her hands tightened, digging her nails into her palms.

_A dark shadow cast over the floor, the Empress of Blood's eyes glittering in the darkness, bemused by the grovelling servant at her feet. Her gaze was the kind that never left you, that made you feel as if you weren't just being hunted; the hunt had already conceded and you'd been successfully caught. Sansa stood at her side, adjusting her glasses as she began to look over some parchment she had in her hands, ignoring the situation at hand._

_A girl trembled at Owari's feet, sobbing. She wore rags, smeared in crimson red. She was on her hands and knees, bowing to the Empress, begging for her life. "Please, Lady Owari... spare me...!" She cried, her nails raking across the floor, but Sansa only rolled her eyes. No matter how much she begged, she had to know it was futile- especially with Owari. Most Hikari you couldn't beg to, even on a good day- and Owari only had good days._

_"You think you have the right to beg for your life in a world such as this?" Owari's foot poked the subject's cheek, taunting her mercilessly with an unrelenting grin. "My dearest daughter slaughtered your entire clan, you know." Owari reached over to the figure beside who, who sat rigidly on the floor, staring off into the distance. Her nails slid against the girl's cheek, a thin line of blood welling underneath her gentle, firm touch. "You are the spoils of war, slave." Her tone was no longer jovial but full of disgust and hatred. "You are the losing side, so shut up and take it with the little dignity you have left. You had one simple, little, itty, bitty, task. I ordered you to cook. You brought me filth; slop that tastes like shit. You are nothing more than a disposable spoil that I won when Rena conquered your clan. Rena, finish the job."_

_Rena made no move to get up as the girl grovelled again, but this time to someone who she thought would be more sympathetic. "Lady Rena, please, spare me! Your Highness, please give me a second chance!"_

_"I don't give second chances, filth. Rena, I gave you an order." Her eyes shot to her child, her malevolence shining through. As Rena stood, she could only utter a simple response._

_"Yes, mother." Her tone was entirely submissive; almost miserable, if you dared search for a tone in her voice. The Empress yawned, resting her chin on her hand. Rena took a few steps forward, brandishing her weapon. She couldn't disobey her mother; her body wasn't her own. As she raised the scythe above her head, Sansa saw the girl looking at the reflection of her own face, blank and expressionless, like a doll. Obeying the shadow that was the Empress was all Rena existed for. There was no higher purpose than serving her mother. As the servant's eyes widened in terror, trying to block herself from further injury by raising her arms to protect her head, a scream echoed through the halls of the Blood Palace. Rena brought the scythe down, blood splashing across the floor._

_"You're just as brutal as the legends say." Rena shot forward, her scythe nearly touching the man's neck, but her mother stood, putting up a hand in the form of a stop signal. Rena stood down, lowering her scythe and stepping away._

_The man had red eyes, redder than blood- the Sharingan gazed at Owari and Owari gazed back. "You're the head of the Uchiha Clan, aren't you? Did you make it here all on your own?" Sansa half expected the Blood Empress to kill him right then and there. "What could you possibly require from the Hikari?"_

_"Your beauty and temper are both exceeding my expectations of what I've been told."_

_"So bold, Uchiha. I should have you killed on the spot for that insult, but I like that you don't seem to fear me like all other peasants that have come before me. It's interesting. Although, I don't know your name. I was only guessing your position by the fact you made it past the defences."_

_"Tajima Uchiha, as you've guessed, Head of the Uchiha Clan. I've come here to gain the Kekkai Genkai of the Hikari to aid in our fight against the Senju, the Blood Style Release." As he stepped forward, he ignored the blood pooling around his feet, never taking his eyes away from the beauty in front of him. Sansa could tell he was spell struck; not to mention, in times of war, an alliance with the Empress of Blood was nearly unheard of- especially considering their ongoing fight with the Yoru._

_"What an interesting man you are, Tajima Uchiha." As she stepped off of her throne, her kimono dragging behind her, her hand gently grazing his cheek as she studied him._

_"I find you the most interesting. You named your daughter with the kanji for peace; despite the fact that she is one of your strongest assets in war."_

_"Peace is only achieved through war," Owari replied. "Constant, unending war will bring the Hikari peace."_

_"Your apprentice is named in a way that is not of this land, but further research came to the conclusion that her name means 'Saint'."_

_"Respect all cultures, not just our own traditions. Someday, I aspire to conquer more than just these lands; even though my legend has only just begun, I have a future over the waves. I want them to know that even as slaves, their culture will not be forgotten- simply replaced with ours."_

_"And your name means, simply, 'The End.'"_

_"My mother knew what I would be from the moment she birthed me. It's what she called me on her deathbed, and she was right. I am the end. I am finite. That will never change." Sansa didn't understand what she meant back then, but now, it was all too clear to her. Something inescapable and unmovable; unpreventable. "But how do you intend on getting my Kekkai Genkai?" She grabbed his hand, sensually moving it up the curves of her body, him standing slowly as she forced him to raise. Dragging it upward, past the curves, his fingers brushed against her lips, up her cheek, then her eyelid. "By ripping my eyes out, as someone would do to you? Would you do it with your bare hands?" Her voice was a mere whisper, her smile flirtatious._

_"No," Tajima replied, falling ever deeper into her grasp, "That wouldn't give me the effect I want. Even if I had it, it wouldn't be passed down through my bloodline. I am asking that you marry me and bear my children, Lady Owari. Marry into the Uchiha family and I shall give you something desirable to complete the weapon you admire so much; the Sharingan."_

_Owari glanced back at Rena, before settling her eyes on Tajima. "I accept those terms. You are more interesting than anyone who has ever come before; I want to see the kind of world you shape with your very own hands, using my blood release style... but I have a much, much more interesting way to give my weapon the Sharingan. A much more... fun way. I've been meaning to try it."_

_Her grin consumed Sansa's memory, her eyes reminding her of the carrion birds that picked the flesh from corpses. She wondered how Tajima could handle any of it, from the ritual to marrying someone so tainted by the blood of others. Someone who wanted to do nothing but conquer others, one by one, to savour the feeling of taking something others held dear- freedom._

"Go." Was all Sansa could manage to say. She heard the door slam shut, but she couldn't react to it. She wondered why she was remembering something like that now. She hoped that would be the last of those bitter, dark memories; ones devoid of colour or emotion, dark things she simply either stood by and watched happen or actively participated in herself. She was a different person then. The Sansa of then didn't have to be the Sansa of today. She'd run from her past, even going as far to pursue the use of a different weapon and different Jutsu entirely, staying away from summoning, just to deny that part of her life- that part of who she was. She wouldn't let the darkness in again.


	25. 25 - Enter Kagura!

As Rena opened the doors to the Elder Council's ruling chamber, their heads turned as they watched her walk in. An unopened box lay on the table, something that caught her eye; it was rather out of place but the seemingly judgemental stares of half of the elders stopped her from looking at it for so long. The first to speak up, of course, was the boisterous Ikanago Nakushita. "The Elder Council has decided to send you and one other on an important mission! We're rather short on manpower, so you'll have to do!"

"A team of two?" Rena asked, unsure if it was a good idea to send only two people on a mission that was supposedly important. It seemed like most of the Elders woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning; there wasn't as much energy as there should be. Most were almost nodding off looking at their stacks of paperwork.

"Unfortunately, everyone is short-handed, like I said, kid. The mission is easy enough; you're going to deliver a package that will help us rekindle our bond with the Hidden Leaf."

"Woah, that does sound important! What's in it?"

"That's none of your business, child, and it better reach its destination unscathed." Merui, especially, seemed rather bitter. "And that you escort the second member of your team and make sure he is unharmed."

"Wait." Rena shook her head, furrowing her brows. "What do you mean? My teammate is a shinobi, isn't he?"

"Just barely. He's the son of one of the esteemed nobles of our country. You are to give him whatever he wants, treat him however he wants, make him feel like this mission is life or death."

"So he's not a shinobi?"

"Stop asking questions you don't need the answer to, Rena Hikari." Merui snapped, waving as one of the guards in the room picked up the package and brought it over to Rena. As she took it into her hands, she noticed that it felt rather light; it didn't do anything to alleviate her curiosity as she walked out of the room. She almost bumped into someone on her way out, but before she could say anything-

"Watch where you're going, peasant! Jeez, are all shinobi this badly trained in the Hidden Sand? What is my family doing, giving this backwater village funding?" She watched as the person produced a small, expensive paper fan and started fanning themselves. She couldn't tear her eyes away; it was definitely the voice of a boy, but his appearance... was totally that of a girl. He was wearing eyeliner. His skin was fair and it was clear he didn't spend a lot of time in the desert heat; he looked like he was sick.

"Who... are you?"

"God, girl, are you blind or something?! I'm the child of the Daimyo and the future Daimyo of this country, show some respect!"

"Are you a girl or boy? And why are you playing shinobi?"

The boy's face turned dark. "I'm a boy, and I'm not playing shinobi- I am one! How dare you be so disrespectful?! You're lucky if I let you walk from execution!"

"Why execute someone over a question?"

"Because it's a disrespectful question!"

"Yeah, but... there's no harm in a question."

"Are you kidding me?! I'm the next Daimyo! I will succeed my father! There's harm in any question you ask me, you know! Someday I will take the title of Daimyo and become overlord of the Land of Wind!"

"What is a Daimyo, anyways?"

The boy's face fell, as if he turned to stone. He didn't seem like he knew how to answer that question, just stared at her with his jaw hanging open. "Peasant... I'll have you know I'm basically royalty! The Daimyo rules their respective country, and I am set to inherit the Land of Wind! You are a mere servant! Everyone is a mere servant! Not even the Elder Council may defy me...! You all messed up bad, so you have to do what I say until you're in my and my father's good graces again! How dare you attack the Hidden Leaf without permission?!"

"That wasn't my fault, you know." Rena said, sighing as she walked past Kagura. She put the package in her pouch; it was rather small. How could something so little be so important? "I'm actually one of the only people they kept in the dark." She felt a little bitter about that, but she understood that they might have thought she was an imposter planted by Orochimaru. They exited the Kage's offices, heading down a bustling Main Street.

"You need to better learn how to apologize for your actions, servant. Since I will someday be a benevolent ruler, I will take your words at face value and inquire about the truth later. If you are lying about your involvement I will have the wrath of the Daimyo turned on you!" As Kagura ran his mouth, she turned to face him with a blank stare on her face, looking him up and down.

"Are you sure you're not a girl, Kagura?"

"You will address me as Lord Ashia! And I am most definitely a boy! What's wrong with a boy wanting to be pretty, too?!" He seemed offended at her comment, so she guessed he really was a boy even if he didn't look the part. His clothes were rather flamboyant, exposing his stomach and collarbone, with a boa wrapped around his arms. It didn't even look like proper shinobi gear. His pants were poofy and oriental, one of the cultures of the eastern side of the desert- it was funny how their country was put together, yet it had so many different cultural differences. Even dialects were different based on where you were from. Sansa was able to teach her about the four cultures of the North, East, South and West sands. Even though they all were similar in stature, they wore different clothes, ate different foods and built different structures. There were a few towns each way with a huge settlement in the middle of them, as the desert had been built for. Kagura's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "How long will this take? I want to apply my beauty regimen before sundown."

"It'll take six hours there, six hours back. We're not going all the way to the Hidden Leaf, so if we avoid the more vicious animals along the way, we should be able to cut it down to four and a half running at top speed!"

"Jeez, doesn't this place have horses?!"

"I don't think so..."

"Hmph. I could've sworn there were peasants who raised horses in this village... I guess they all died." Kagura shook his head, picking up the pace as he walked between the massive walls of sand. "Out of my way, peasants!" He shrilly shrieked to anyone who dared get in his way. Rena had never seen the guards move so fast. She was somewhat amused before Kagura turned back to her. "Well? Are we supposed to be wasting daylight like this?"

Rena could tell she was going to regret even spending a moment with Kagura. She took a wistful glance back at the Hidden Sand, wishing she could have told Gaara before she left. Above, however, a figure watched, paired by a boy in a mask. "If I can't scare her out of the Hidden Sand, I'll annoy her out of it. Anything in my power; dealing with that brat should be enough to set in a message. From now on, her life is going to be a living hell! The worst missions, the most awful punishments, the most difficult teammates...! All of her friends will get the prestige and honor and the attention of her mother and the village while she'll be neglected and thrown away like trash!"

"Lady Merui, you're eager to have her removed from the Hidden Sand. Should I follow and make sure their return is delayed or that Kagura is injured?"

"Do not harm Kagura. Protect him at all costs; the last thing we need is the wrath of the Daimyo in the middle of a ploy to overthrow him. As promised, this mission is a distraction for the boy's uncle to swoop in; we don't want to risk angering the next Daimyo, either."

"Understood, Lady Merui. No harm will come to Kagura, but I will make it so there is reason for Rena to be punished upon returning."

"Go. The next Daimyo will be nothing more than a puppet in my hands thanks to this favour..." Merui's eyes glinted. "I have a rebellion to plan. The Daimyo will be dead before Kagura returns." Kagura's feelings on the matter weren't something she cared about. His father was a tyrant; offering the jobs that rightfully belonged to the Hidden Sand to the Leaf. Not to mention, he couldn't be paid off or threatened... he was haughty like that, but his brother... his brother just wanted the power. People could easily be controlled if you gave them what they wanted and Merui had an elite squad of shinobi ready to serve him... and her. It was so easy to make puppets if you knew what you were doing... no pun intended. She'd be rid of that brat, Kagura, too, as his influence would diminish greatly without the proper backing of the Daimyo.

As the boy body flickered away, she turned back to the Hidden Sand. The only thing left was the Sand Siblings, who were in the way. Temari could be controlled, but Gaara would have to die. As long as she married within the Hidden Sand, there was no need to kill her. There could be no competition, no others with the right to the title of Kazekage, other than her future grandchildren. Rena, especially, had to go.

And go she would. Merui was sure of it.

"So, we are not training today?" Tsukiyomi asked, her hair in a braid today. She seemed rather complacent despite the change of plans. Six people stood before Sansa, Tsukiyomi and Baki part of the party.

"No, Tsukiyomi. Unfortunately not. This is a cover for what we're really doing. Although I do see potential in you as my replacement should something ever happen to me, I think what we're going to do is more important than that."

"What are we going to do?" The voice was light, feminine. "The Kuki are at your side, always, Sansa, but I can't unknowingly lead my family into a suicide mission. At least let me know."

"Katari, Seikatsu, Akemi, Kasai, you're the only Kuki I could round up. Any more of you missing would be suspicious.

"I don't mind going! But I'm not even an ANBU yet!" Kasai's voice was light and cheery as she bounced around excitedly. "My second top-secret mission, wow!"

"It's not going to be a top-secret mission if you shout at the top of your lungs like that, Kasai! Shut up!"

"Yes, mom!~"

"Katari, she's excited. Don't put a damper on things- this is an exciting moment for any Kuki."

"Seikatsu, I love you, but you need to be in more of a serious-shinobi mood right now."

"How about we let Sansa speak?" Akemi's voice cut through the ongoing arguement, resulting in silence.

"As expected, you listen to the head of your family. Anyways, we're going to go find the Kazekage."

"What?" Everyone chimed, staring at her as if she'd said something absolutely insane.

"The Elders ordered us to leave it be, Sansa."

"What?" Tsukiyomi chimed in, a little late from the others, causing a pause of the conversation for a single, long, demanding look.

Then, Kasai put her finger to her lips and loudly whispered, "SHHHHHH!" Katari drew her hand back, smacking her on the back of the head and causing her to faceplant in the dirt. Sansa gave them a glare as she watched one of her colleagues walk by, the group shutting up almost entirely as the ANBU agent passed by, clearly uncomfortable.

"We're going anyways," Sansa continued once the coast is clear, "And I have faith the Kazekage is alive. That stubborn old bastard wouldn't let something like this get the best of him."

"Are you sure?" Baki was hesitant. On one hand, finding the Kazekage would be their top priority. If they could regain control over the Hidden Sand faster, wrench away Merui's wretched hold, then everything would go back to being safe. Merui had once been a snake lacking venom, but now she was worse than a desert rattlesnake. On the other hand... he was sure that his wife would leave him for Rasa if they found him. He felt pain over that. He would understand, certainly, what with their bond being so unbreakable. Rasa had, indeed, had her first. Could Baki handle the heartbreak? Would he be able to forgive them when it actually happened? All he wanted was for his friends and allies to be happy. As long as he could serve the Hidden Sand, he was sure he would be fine.

He hoped he would be okay.

"Hey, let me have the package." Kagura demanded, holding out his hand as they walked along the desert sands. "I want to see what's inside it."

"We're not supposed to see what's inside; these are goods for the Hidden Leaf so they don't attack us for what we did." Rena insisted, tightening her grip on her pouch while looking at Kagura sheepishly. She edged a little bit away from him, not wanting to remain too close in case he tried to grab it.

"I'll just blame you and say you opened it. Obey me, peasant. You live and die for me anyways and when I'm Daimyo, you'll be fighting my wars, got it?!" Kagura barked, stopping and pointing directly at Rena, who just groaned. "Hey! Don't make that sound, it's unappealing! I said obey me!"

"No!" Rena snapped, "Just because you're going to be the Daimyo, the Daimyo, the next Daimyo, doesn't mean I have to do whatever you say! Jeez, this package is for the Hidden Leaf, not for you! How childish can you get?!"

"What! When I'm the Daimyo, I'll have you killed!"

"Yeah, when. If ever. I wish you were the Daimyo now so I could be spared your stupid voice!"

Kagura's face turned red as a tomato and it seemed like he really would blow up. "I- you-" He sputtered, trying to find the words to respond to her. "You're really rude, you know that?! Back home, nobody would dare talk to me the way you do! You're not even worthy of the title of peasant, you're just trash!"

"And you're really spoiled! Stop playing pretend ninja and go home!"

"I'm not playing pretend ninja!" Kagura yelled and Rena's hands crept up to her face as she rubbed her eyes. She suddenly felt really tired. "I've always wanted to be like that one famous shinobi! I'm one of the most powerful shinobi ever! My name will be written down in history as the first shinobi-Daimyo! I'll be the type of man that fights at the side of his servants!"

"Listen, kid, I barely even know what a Daimyo is! But since they rule this country, that means that they have one place- and that's getting fat off of eating all that food spent by blood money! The biggest baddie is always like that!"

Kagura gasped; judging by the look on his face, that statement had offended him more than any other she made. "The Daimyo isn't the bad guy! The Daimyo is the coolest ever, and the best hero! I know because my dad is the coolest! He's got so many samurai protecting him, he's so important!"

"Just because you're important doesn't mean you're a hero!"

"Shut up! Take it back! Take it! Back! Take! It! Back!" Kagura pouted, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, seemingly refusing to move. Rena continued past him, paying him no mind. "H-Hey! Aren't you going to try and get me to move or come with you?"

She turned back, staring at him with a blank gaze. "Why would I? You're annoying. Stay here."

"W-Wait for me!" Kagura yelped as Rena picked up the pace, trying to stride away as fast as possible. Kagura had to run to keep up with her, whining the entire way, but he stopped when he saw smoke spiraling into the air from a distance. A fire roared, its flames consuming the village, to which Rena grabbed her kunai and a few smoke bombs she'd stolen from Sansa's armory. "What... that's one of our villages."

"Someone's attacking. It might be the Leaf. I'm going to go fight them off."

"W-Wait, you'll die!" Kagura reached out to grab Rena, but she stepped away.

"There's a big difference between you and me, Kagura. Neither of us have proper training, but I'm willing to fight for this country! I'm not just playing shinobi; I... REALLY..." She got into a runner's position, prepping herself to go at a faster speed, "Really want to be..." As she flung herself toward the village, body flickering, the only thing Kagura could hear was the echo of her final words; "A shinobi!"

Kagura watched as Rena got closer to the village. A man excited one of the nearby buildings, axe heavy in hand, but she slashed his tendons, causing him to fall to the ground. He was somewhat in awe that she could just rush into a dangerous situation with little to no care for whether or not she was going to die. Wait...! He couldn't be admiring a peasant! It wouldn't look good for... for anything... but the more he watched her trade blows, the more he felt a growing need to join her, to prove he wasn't just playing shinobi...! He took off, running toward the chaos and hoping for the best.

As Rena traded blows with a nearby bandit, she took down another one, swiftly and quickly. She was only interrupted by what had to be the stupidest thing she'd ever seen- Kagura Ashia charging towards the scene of the action, screaming at the top of his lungs. The sound drew the attention of at least forty of the bandits. They began to circle the two and Kagura, ashen-faced, began to try and back away. "Look what you did now, idiot! Our chances of getting out of here just died with us! Good job... and stop playing shinobi!"

"I'm not just playing shinobi...!" Kagura yelled. The anger in his voice caused Rena to actually pay attention to his words as she realized that perhaps he did, indeed, want to be a shinobi. It kind of reminded her of how Sansa was trying to stop her from being a shinobi. How could she stop him when she knew how it felt to have your dream trampled over because someone else thought they knew what was best for you? She moved beside him and offered him one of the black balls she had been holding.

"You ready to do what shinobi do?" His eyes were wide as he stared at her, grabbing the ball and looking at it. They both raised their arms before smashing the balls against the ground, but Kagura's didn't break. He began to stomp on it, smoke blowing out properly that time, as Rena pulled him further into cover, covering both of their faces as she whispered, "Now, we attack them one by one and hope we can halve their numbers as less-than-genin."

"Alright! Do you have a weapon? I don't." Rena rolled her eyes before handing him some shuriken. "Oh, sweet! Dad never lets me play-" He paused. "I mean, train with these." He'd corrected himself, but he'd need quite a bit of training before he even passed as potentially a shinobi.

"Dynamic Entry!" A voice, charismatic, charming and overbearing, cut through the smoke as the grunts of bandits being severely pummeled rang through the air. Rena's head whipped around as she tried to locate where the person who was aiding them was in the smoke, her back to Kagura's. She saw a figure moving in the smoke and she leapt at the chance to hit it- narrowly dodging a green-clad limb. The punches coming at her progressively got worse and she was certain her forearms would bruise from all of the blocking she was doing. "Wait one youth-filled moment! You're not a bandit, you're just a kid!"

"You think?!" Rena snapped, realizing that he wasn't a bandit either- he was the one who had been fighting them off. It was kind of embarrassing that she couldn't really tell the difference, but smoke was impossible to see through. She decided that smoke balls definitely weren't her style; she wouldn't be using those again. "Who are you?"

"I'm Might Gai," As the smoke cleared with a single spin from him, he pointed to himself, his teeth glinting obnoxiously in the sun with how wide his smile was. "The Green Beast of the Leaf!" He declared, his goofy demeanor taking away from how cool that name would ever be considered.

"What's a peasant of the Leaf doing in my country?" Kagura snapped, coughing as he waved smoke away from his face.

"Chasing the fruit of youth! I'm here to pick up a package meant to help my pupil's legs!" He was overly optimistic, his movements mirroring his feelings. He projected way too much, to the point where it made Rena feel uncomfortable. "Wait, are you the ones who're delivering it? Lee needs that package desperately!"

"Lee...?" Rena questioned, before remembering; Lee was the name of the guy Gaara beat in the Chuunin Exams... the one he injured pretty badly. Guilt flooded her heart as she realized how awful that must feel on both ends; Gaara, who had definitely changed, was probably regretting every moment of the Chuunin Exams- every time he'd hurt someone. Lee, on the hand, was probably suffering with his injury- and if what was in the package was supposed to help him, no doubt it was dire since they were asking for help from people outside of the Hidden Leaf. "Yeah, we have the package. It's right-" As she reached into the pouch, her face package was gone. Even as she looked inside it, it was clear there was nothing there- her head turned to Kagura, who was looking anywhere but at Rena. "Where is it?"

"I don't know what you mean, peasant." Kagura crossed his arms but Rena could see the dubious guilt in his eyes.

"Kagura, we need to deliver that package to Gai. I'm already on thin ice with the Elders, so if you have it, please hand it over." Rena said, through gritted teeth. She really wanted to hit him, damn it!

It seemed like he conceded, hanging his shoulders in defeat. "I'll give it to you... when I get it back."

"What do you mean, when you get it back?! You lost it?!"

"I didn't lose it, I swear!" Kagura insisted. "A bandit took it from me!"

"Is that any better?!" Rena yelled and she swore she was going to punch him as she curled up her fist and took a step forward, but Gai placed a hand on her shoulder.

"This is an opportunity... to awaken the passion of youth within both of you!" His eyes were shining creepily, as if he were an old man sitting on a park bench staring at the children as they played, unaware of his presence. Rena almost wanted to scream, but she bit her tongue to hear him out. "We're going to raid that bandit hideout! These people need our help!"

"But they're not from your country. Why would you help them? Do you expect a reward?"

Gai paused, staring intensely at Kagura for a moment. "No, they just need help, so I'll help them."

"Why?! We're the enemy!" Kagura couldn't believe he was doing it out of the good of his heart; there was no such thing. The enemy was evil; that's all he could see.

"You're not that bad! Besides, they have what I need before I can go home! It's a win-win either way and it helps train you two to fight with the passion of youth!"

"What's the passion of youth...?"

"I'm glad you asked! I'm always willing to take on more pupils, but Lee will always be my star pupil!" That didn't answer her question at all. As she stole a glance at Kagura, who looked like he had eaten dirt in terms of the expressions he was making, she wished that it was, instead, Gaara that was at her side. She was sure that most of the village would agree with her, even if they feared him; they'd probably all rather die fast than slowly be annoyed to death. "Let's go hunt some bandits, kids! It's time to teach you the most important lesson there is!"

Rena wished she could just turn around and go home as the time she was spending with Gaara was already splintered since he was always busy when they were home. Half of the time, he didn't even want to trouble Sansa by coming in the house. The more she thought about how thoughtful Gaara was, the more her face flushed as she covered her cheeks with her hands, a smile creeping across her face as she shook her head. Gaara was just the best!

"Well, we're wasting daylight, kids!" Gai flashed his smile, causing Rena and Kagura to recoil in disgust, before Rena drooped her shoulders in absolute defeat. "Let's get moving!"

"W-Wait!" Kagura hissed, grabbing Rena's wrist as she made a move to follow the green-clad goblin. "Should we really follow him...? We don't know him and he's from an enemy village and he wears a jumpsuit!"

"You should have thought about that before you lost the package." Rena replied, wrenching her arm away from Kagura's grip. He looked crestfallen. "The next time you want to make things hard for your country, try not to start a war using my package that I'm responsible for! You're the Daimyo's kid, aren't you?! Just declare war all on your own and see who fights for you!"

As Rena walked away, Kagura watched her for a moment before looking upon the smouldering village, his eyebrows contorting over his face, furrowing. As he looked back at Rena, he tightened his fists. He really... wasn't a shinobi right now. He thought, for a moment, he and Rena... were on the same level. But, it was becoming clear to him... maybe he really was playing shinobi.

Gaara's face pressed into her covers, his eyes closed. He could smell her everywhere; in covers, in the hall, in the air around him. He had a feeling that what he was doing- breaking and entering- wasn't okay, but this place- it was so comforting. He just had to make sure he didn't get caught. His arms spread out against her bed and he wished he could feel her warmth there, but it was a soothing level of cold. He didn't know where she went, only that she was going to be gone for a while- so he'd occupy her bed. Not that she'd mind, right? He just... didn't want to be alone. Didn't want to sleep alone. One taste of her, a single touch from her, and this is what he was reduced to- wanting to cling to her like a child. It frustrated him, almost, that he felt like he needed her so much that it hurt.

He wondered if she felt the same way as he flipped over, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression. He was scared that she doubted his feelings, but why? He was doing all he could to push her away. He shouldn't do this. He shouldn't want to be next to her. Sansa might be right- and the chance that she was- scared him. He was trying to keep away for her. Not to mention, he kept a secret from her that she deserved to know, but Sansa had made it very clear to him- and the others, far away from Rena's sight.

She must carry on down this part of the path alone. She must realize the truth for herself, or it will destroy her. Anyone helping her will simply further her along to her demise and reincarnate a distant version of herself that should never see the light of day again.

He had read novels before. It wasn't really a hobby of his, but sometimes, when the nightmares got too much, he would read. He would read all kinds of stories and tales, where most of the issues stemmed from miscommunication. Gaara hadn't understood them until now. He was scared that this miscommunication- not telling her the truth- would destroy her in the end anyways.

No matter what, that girl must learn how to be herself before knowing the truth. She must grow and become more of who she is now. If she fails... then someone you no longer recognize will take her place. Please, listen to my warning.

It was a heavy burden to bear. Gaara wasn't even sure he could do it. Love... didn't love mean honesty? He could barely understand what Sansa said, let alone the meaning in her words. Keeping a secret... because he loved her, and he wanted her around all the time. But, Sansa also said it would be him that destroys her; not anyone else, not even Ikari, who she seemed to hate more than Gaara. That thought made his heart feel sore, sinking to the bottom of his chest; but the memory of the warmth of her smile spread throughout his body made him realize that he really couldn't listen to Sansa.

He'd do anything...! Anything as long as she kept smiling at him with that warmth of hers! She filled what holes remained from his past life. He hoped Sansa would forgive him, but he needed her. Her brightness. Even if she was childish sometimes and had a really hard time being mature, even if she was annoying every now and again, he could handle all of that.

A small shift in the wind, the particles of sand moving around him in disarray, and his head shot up, noticing the unnatural reaction to something; the assassin that had body flickered through the window narrowly dodged a branch of his sand. It was plenty easy to find sand around here; it was in the air, on the ground, in his clothes and hair- this was his domain. The assassin did his best, jumping around the room and aiming their kunai at Gaara- only for them to bounce off of his sand shield. As he began to fight back, his anger growing further, wondering why they'd send an assassin here- to this place. A place touched by her- somewhere safe from the outside world. As sand rushed to grab the assassin, wrapping around him, he tightened his hand- he could hear the strained groan of the man trying to kill him.

A crash caused him to pause. He looked back, to the dresser- only for his eyes to trail down to the floor. A spiderweb of cracks formed on the picture frame. A single strike through Rena softened his heart as he leaned down to pick up the frame, taking it into his hands with a gentle, heartwarming gaze. His sand slid away from the man, leaving him gasping for air. "Go." One word from Gaara, and nothing but the wind brushing against the curtains remained, a reminder of the assassin that had fled- but that anomaly was gone within mere moments.

As he looked at her picture, he realized something that made a pit feel like it was forming in his heart. He was supposed to have changed. Yet, given the chance, he would have gone back on that in an instant. Had it not been for her picture, he would have killed that assassin. Had it not fallen at that moment- and become cracked- that man's blood would paint Rena's floor. As he traced his fingers lightly over the shards. They weren't too sharp- but small bits of sand rushed to his defense. They wouldn't let them touch him. As he placed the frame back on the dresser, he knew.

Rena had him feeling like he was worthy of light and the emotions she made him feel. She was very much a big part of his world. He hoped it wouldn't be an issue that his world was ever-expanding and becoming bigger now- there was so much more than there had been before. Although Rena could evoke light, she could also consume him with a type of darkness he was uncomfortable with- one he didn't know how to counter.

If he ever had to choose between Rena and the Hidden Sand... well, right now, he couldn't answer the question on who would win.


	26. 26 - I Get Knocked Down

"Are we there yet?" Kagura hissed, keeping to the shadows of the trees as he struggled to catch up to Gai and Rena, who were body flickering through the tree branches. They had been travelling for about five minutes and Kagura was already tired of the woods. Rena didn't doubt this was a result of how Kagura had grown up, always in the lap of luxury. But for Rena... everything had been blurry for the longest time.

As she stared off into the distance, she realized that although she'd argued with Suno about what he'd done, it was originally for her benefit. He'd been keeping down the trauma from Orochimaru's underground base. He still was. As she looked up at the blue sky, she found a certain appreciation for it- the darkness of those caves were far behind her. Even if she wasn't stalked by the constant memories and details, this much she could learn to appreciate. A small smile spread across her face as she felt the breeze gently push its way past her; she closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she could see Gaara.

There were many reasons... for which that trauma should be hidden away.

Voices snapped her from her reverie, to which she leaned against the tree she was perched on. Gai stood on a branch, staring with an expression she couldn't quite place. Menacingly? Or was he planning something? Kagura stood behind the tree itself, peeking out with curious eyes. As Rena was about to speak up to try and formulate a plan, Gai dropped behind the two bandits, causing them to shriek in surprise. "Return what you stole from my students!"

He then proceeded to punch them in the face. Both bandits flew, to the point where Kagura stepped out from behind the tree and shielded his eyes, watching them fly with wonder and amazement.

Rena swore she would die right then and there. What the hell? Was this guy even a shinobi? As she jumped down from the tree, she rushed over to the two. She wasn't the type to do things by the book, but this was way too much! "Hey! Why would you ask them a question and then knock them out?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He declared with vigorous energy- brimming at levels that shouldn't even be possible. As Rena sighed, she decided to give up on Gai and look for clues on her own as to the bandit hideout's whereabouts. Looting the fallen bandits only gave her a few coins, not much else. As Gai ran around the forest, looking for the bandits while shouting at the top of his lungs, Kagura consistently complained. Endlessly.

"Why do I have to be here?"

"These bandit peasants should cater to me. I demand they expose their location immediately."

"It's so hot! God, why won't they show themselves?"

"Geez, doesn't that guy in the green jumpsuit ever shut up? It's the ugliest fashion statement I've seen all year!" Finally, Kagura had said something she could agree with. As she turned to watch Gai rush past the same area for what she had counted about ten times- she felt like she really was going to give up- until the man decided to go a little too fast and slam into a grouping of rocks, which tumbled over to expose a ladder. As he was recovering on the ground, Rena and Kagura walked up to it. "Hm. I've found the hideout!" Kagura declared.

Rena didn't really have anything to say to that other than a significantly drawn-out glare. She wondered why she had to put up with this. What kind of Elders would send the son of the Daimyo, if he was supposedly so important, with a Genin that Sansa herself had blacklisted from the mission list? How did she even get this mission without Sansa pulling a fit? Ah... she had left the moment she got it, not asking any questions. If she had stopped to say something to Sansa, surely she would have been stopped... but she didn't.

She sighed, her shoulders hanging, as she turned around and put one foot on the ladder rung. A shadow cast over her face and she looked up to see Kagura staring at her. "Are you sure... you want to go first? That looks like it can only fit one person at a time." As she gripped the sides of the ladder tightly, she realized that even though she was fighting with Sansa- maybe Sansa could sometimes be right, even if she was an extremist. Rena would probably do good to listen to her more.

"It's not like you wanna go first. I'll be fine." Rena shrugged, giving a half-hearted smile. "Just be sure Gai gets up and comes down after me. Then you." Kagura nodded and walked to a place where Rena couldn't see as she began her descent. As she thought about her situation, she wondered about the mission itself. Maybe she should have refused or asked for a different job. Would the Elders think less of her for it? She was afraid. She hadn't been afraid of Gaara, not in a way that kept her away from him, but she was afraid she'd lose her last chance to become a shinobi. Sansa was already restricting her, keeping her from what she wanted to be- if she gained the ire of the council now, where would that leave her? The more she descended into the darkness, the less sure she was where the ladder ended until she finally felt the firm ground beneath her feet. Turning to look down the darkened corridor, torches lit the walls every few paces. There were spots of darkness between she could easily slip through. She heard footsteps and voices, so she rushed to the wall, flattening herself against it. As the voices came closer, she could see two men walking past each torch, their shadows mixing with the ones around them.

"There was a big noise that the Boss told us to check out. I'm telling ya, it's nothin'. Nobody is gonna find this place, dammit!" One complained, his gait aggressive as he swaggered around. "They made it a super pain in the ass to open AND seal the entrance, dammit! My shift up there isn't supposed to be for another three hours!"

"Stop complainin', jeez. It's a quick check- it's not like we have to go up there. Just look up the ladder and see if the hole is open. If it is, call up to the guys up there."

"Fine, fine. I wanna go back to napping. Damn successful raid, and what do I get? Door duty." The man's mutterings slowly faded into nothing as he passed by Rena. Rena didn't know what she could do- as there were not one, but two of them- Even with ambush privileges, she wasn't so sure how strong they were. Tempered with a cautious hand, she decided that striking was now or never; as she tackled the man from behind, who made a loud sound, causing the man looking up the ladder to turn around, they both smashed into the wall.

Then;

"DYNAMIC... ENTRY!"

Dirt and dust exploded around the hall; she could hear the walls crumbling and the ground shake beneath her. As the dust cleared, Gai's pose in the dusk became obvious as she stared in disbelief. She watched as Kagura came down the ladder a few moments after, Gai stepping out of the small crater he made.

As Kagura stepped off of the ladder, the passage up crumbled, dirt and rocks accumulating around their ankles. Rena didn't know where she should start. Sighing, she just shook her head, before bursting into rage. "Why the hell would you do that?! We don't know if there's any other way out and that's a pretty damn shabby hole! Now we're stuck in here with god knows how many bandits!" She just wanted to get back to Gaara, damn it!

"Be silent, peasant." Kagura brushed the dirt from his clothing, sweeping each of his shoulders with graceful, strict movements. "If need be, you'll dig us out with whatever tools may be available."

"Since when did this become my problem?"

"Since you got trapped in here with us, peasant." Kagura shrugged his shoulders, beginning to stroll down the dampened, darkened hallway. She could see his outline as he passed in between the doorways with a larger swagger than those poor bandits buried under the dirt.

"At least try to keep to the shadows, Kagura!"

"You will address me as Lord Kagura!" He snapped, spinning around faster than she could have anticipated him ever being able to move. "I'm not peasants like you! Remember- You're just a peasant! I dare say I can't even remember your name!" Rena sighed. It just seemed like the more they went on, the more Kagura seemed to take for granted and the worse he got. Still, there was no point in fighting with one another here. What was more important was they made it out of this damn cave and got back the delivery Kagura lost. Gai seemed to be eager to explore, his pace more frantic and not matching either Kagura or Rena's. He looked almost excited.

Really, what had she gotten herself into?

"Lady Merui. Kagura has still not returned." An ANBU member decked out in all-black bowed to Merui, before standing upright once more. "I think they should be on their way back now. I've received word from the advance team; they've infiltrated the Daimyo's Palace. The Daimyo... will be dead within the hour."

"Good. It's time for me to make my mark on this world; mark my words, my family will not take the humiliation of being under the Sunai any longer. This is... a forceful takeover. Even though it might seem like on the surface they're in control, they... Never will be again." Merui turned away from the assassin, shaking her head. The one she had sent to kill Gaara failed... but more curiously, the monster let his prey go. Her eyes hardened as she thought of the day where Gaara was dead, Temari would lose her right to the Hidden Sand and Kankuro would be easily controlled by the likes of her family until finally- theirs merged, and the Sunai were consumed by the Hebidoku!

Sansa turned her head to the sky, watching as the mellow colours mixed together. Her short black hair blew in a gentle breeze as her eyes softened. Thinking of Rasa was easy to do, especially with all that she had read. She wanted to go back to his home and retrieve those letters, but perhaps all she could do was write them back. Maybe someday, Rasa would be able to read them- hopefully, after they safely returned him today.

Her hope was like a brightly burning fire in her heart. Rasa wouldn't give up so easily; he was just like his son. Perhaps Rena had taken on some of her interests in men. Maybe it was Sansa's fault Rena was so intrigued by the black sheep of the Sunai family; although Sansa could only have dreamed of Rena being engaged to Kankuro and being next in line to become someone prestigious and remembered in the annals of history as more than just a destroyer.

"But she's your child."

"She may be my child, but I made her for a singular purpose. This entire world shall live for her. Live... to die for her."

Rena wouldn't grow up to be lonely as her mother desired. There had been people who'd taken her death into their own hands before she matured enough to become what Owari wanted her to be. Although she was made to be that way, crafted by her mother, that didn't mean that was what she had to become. Rena would be given a choice, Sansa would be sure of that. The choice to be someone... be the hero, compared to being the demon everyone ran from. "The sky is turning darker, Sansa. We should probably head back to the Hidden Sand before someone notices we're gone."

"No." Sansa shook her head. "We aren't loyal to the Kazekage for nothing. We will not turn back until we find him. Even if the village thinks their Kazekages are weak, these people gave their lives and their blood for us. They are more than just the title of Kazekage; Rasa is a father. He was a husband. He's precious to more than just the Hidden Sand! So we must find him. Not only for the sake of his children, but the Hidden Sand as well."

Katari sighed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But we camp when it gets too dark. Even I don't want to brave the predators of the Sands. We're not going to make stupid decisions under the cover of the stars just because we think we can handle those kinds of threats."

"You know I always appreciate your judgement, Katari." Sansa nodded. "I agree with you. Making camp should be one of our number one priorities- we should start looking for a good spot."

Gai, Kagura and Rena were pressing on through the bandit's lair at mach speed. After Rena had realized it was clear neither of them cared anything for actually being stealthy, she gave up on trying to keep her sanity intact and joined them. Although she probably wouldn't admit it or speak of this moment again, she was actually having a lot of fun!

"Hey, bandits!" Kagura yelled.

"Heeey! Baaaandits!" Rena yelled right after him, cupping her hands around her mouth for maximum, booming effect. "Come on, we've beaten everyone who's come to see us so far!" It wasn't that hard. They waited around corners and Gai just sucker-punched whoever was stupid enough to fall for it. As they finally reached the end of the hall, there came a set of doors, which were opened by Rena. Something whizzed past her head as she was unable to react. It didn't hit or touch her, but Rena was astonished at the speed.

On top of a pile of rubble, a man sat, staring up at a hole in the ceiling above. His eyes were blank, glasses thin. He pushed them up, stopping them from sliding down his nose as he stood. She noticed him flip around what looked like a clear-coloured kunai. "And to think... I thought that this could turn a profit. Tch." He barely even acknowledged them, even when Gai barreled in.

"Are you the leader?!"

The man simply hopped down the pile of stones, one by one. "I thought that expensive medicine might score me some points, but it turns out it's completely ineffective... I'm in the goddamn red because of you morons..."

"Who are you? Where is the medicine?!" Kagura demanded, but still no response.

"Maybe I should just finish you off here for what you've done, but time is money, and I'm not keen on spending it on you."

"Please give the medicine back!"

The man's head turned so fast that Rena thought he might snap his neck. His glare bore into her, but all she could see was that he seemed different somehow. His hair was a light blonde, but not the kind that she'd seen in anyone she knew. Not even the leaf had been quite this... solid. His eyes were the same light yellow... piercing and confident. "So it's you, initiate."

"Initiate...?" Her brows furrowed. She could swear she heard that somewhere before- but the memory faded as quickly as it came. "Who are you?!"

"Ah, yes, I suppose someone like you would forget. No matter- it's interesting I'm running into you here. How about you let your companions wither down here and come with me for a chat?"

"I refuse!"

The expression on his face made it clear he didn't enjoy her response. "Well... that's fine. Rena, you may not remember me, but we were once something as close to 'friends' as a tool like you can have. I'm excited about your awakening-" His tone of voice, flat and bored, didn't give away his excitement- "So when you're awake again, you should come find me first."

"How do you know my name?"

"Well, you know me. Or, maybe you don't, not right now. I only ask and offer once. You've lost your chance at knowledge. Goodbye, child of the blood." As he turned away, Rena lunged at him, reaching for his shirt. She could feel her fingertips touch against it, but suddenly, a burst of yellow flew out of the hole in the ceiling. Although the light was dim as night was falling, she couldn't make out anything other than the fact he was gone. Questions filled her head, ones she frustratingly didn't have answers to.

Above, as the yellow flew out of the hole, a weapon sliced it clean through. The glint of a blade in moonlight caused the man with glasses to stop, pushing them up slowly as a thick crack resounded in the night- the spectacles were broken. "You know, if you keep breaking my glasses, I'll have to charge you ten times what they're worth."

Fuyuki simply stared at him. "And what are you doing approaching the Empress' legacy?"

"Please. Do you think mere rules affect someone like me? Don't forget who is the true backbone of our meagre numbers. I handle everything. I corrupt the politicians, I find the marks, I am the one that controls this pitiful world for the sake of our Empress. You won't guilt me out of approaching Rena."

"She's not what we once knew, Kinju. There is no reason to approach her; she is not what will yet rule us."

As Kinju walked past Fuyuki, their shoulders merely brushing against one another, his voice became a low whisper. "That's exactly why I have approached her. Do not forget your place, Fuyuki- go back to obsessing over your insects and leave the higher brain functions to me." And like that, he was gone with the wind. There wasn't much Fuyuki could do or say to stop him without the Empress around. Kinju may do as he pleased, but Fuyuki would definitely report this to Owari.

It could have been worse. At least their researcher wasn't with him... the two seemed close these days, but also keen in making trouble wherever they went... Fuyuki shook her head, seemingly dissipating into shadows.

Below the surface, Rena looked up. "It's way too high to climb up... and the walls are squared, there's not really anything sticking out we can grasp..."

"No way am I doing some dirty menial work like climbing. Find another way." Kagura demanded, sitting on a nearby rock and crossing his legs as he looked at his fingernails. "Ugh. I can't believe this! There's dirt under my fingernails- dirt! Disgusting!" Rena rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe that even for a second she felt bad for Kagura and even wanted to support him in becoming a shinobi.

Still, she guessed she couldn't be too hard on him... for all of his complaining, he never once asked to turn back. He always forged ahead, naive of any danger, always interested in progressing. She could admire that, really. Maybe he wasn't so bad as he seemed.

"Hmmm.." Gai was staring aggressively at the pile of rocks the man had been on, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. "Alright!" He sprung up, causing both Rena and Kagura to jump. "I have a solution!"

"What's your-"

"DYNAMIC... ENTRY!"

Rena and Kagura were quite literally blown away at the impact of which Gai came crashing down on the pile of rocks. They both flew in different directions, their backs hitting the wall- they could feel the ground quake. As the dust cleared, Gai stood atop the rock, arms crossed, still thinking.

"IN WHAT WORLD IS THAT A SOLUTION?!" Rena screeched.

"MY FATHER WILL HAVE YOU THROWN IN PRISON FOR THESE DAMAGES! I BROKE A NAIL!" Kagura's screech was louder, high enough to break a wine glass. As they both rushed over to Gai, both of them angry in their own ways for their own reasons, a light trickle of water began to spurt up.

"What's... that?" That would be the last thing Kagura would point out before suddenly, they could feel themselves shoot into the air as a result of a high-pressure column of water bursting out of the rocks below. All three screamed as they were wrenched into the air- Rena could feel herself sailing through the sky, she didn't know where anyone else was. She could only brace for impact as she was thrust into a deep mass of water, sinking to the bottom. As she struggled to breathe, wanting to cry out, she could only see darkness.

Not yet, damn it. Not like this!

The voice echoed in her head... was that hers?

I won't let us die like this, initiate. If I must, I'll summon them...!

It was as if those words were blotted out in her mind, something she couldn't hear. She could feel a ripple, a disturbance in the water as her eyes began to close. She saw something unintelligible- only when it was midway closer to her, could she see... "Gaa...ra?"

The boy embraced her, holding her close- she could feel him pulling her upwards. Even as the water invaded her throat, she still wanted to speak to him. The water pulled her down, weighed heavy on her skin, as she was lifted out of it. She was dizzy, but she felt the press of another's lips against her own. Air. However, all she wanted was Gaara's warmth, yet his lips were so cold. As she kissed him, it felt like she was kissing a stone wall; it didn't feel like he was reciprocating, but he didn't stop her, either. "I love you... Gaara."

"I love you too. Go to sleep now." That warbled tone of voice... didn't sound like anyone she knew. Maybe it was her ears playing tricks on her? Still, she couldn't risk making Gaara mad... they had just started to get on a good track again.

"Thank you... Gaara..." As he stroked her hair, she knew she was trailing off into dreamland. His lap was so soft...

The moon was high in the sky as Sansa silently stepped over the sleeping bodies of her friends and companions. She strode away from their camp, hidden in a sand dune that had formed a mini-cave. As she looked back, her eyes were only trained on them for a moment. She turned away, darkness enveloping her face as she looked down at her hands.

The power she vowed not to use. Something she'd used before, to finish off an assassin. Her hands trembled. She wouldn't become a tool of Owari again. She had created this identity to get away from her, to become her own person- not just the personal maidservant of the Empress of Blood. The student, the worshipper, the slave. All of these things she had been called. She hadn't batted an eye at the blood being shed before Owari took away her individuality and taught her a lesson she would never forget.

Right now, what counted is that she had to use this power to protect who she had around her now. Even if it was ugly- even if all of what she gained was because of Owari's training and connections. As she sliced her finger with a kunai, performing the summoning ritual, a puff of smoke exposed Jikara; its tail, the head of a snake, twisted in a malformed sense. As it stepped out, its front paws, the legs of a lion, were accompanied with a similar, familiar, furry face. Its wings stretched against the pale, dark sky- feathers dislodged themselves, black as a raven's, as it exercised.

"I have been waiting, Sansa. I was created for a purpose, yet you kept me locked away in a darkened chamber in the Village Hidden in the Shadows..." The beast's eyes glimmered with cruelty and anger. "You summoned me for mere moments before. Not enough time, nor enough respect, for us to discuss this crime against me."

"I apologize, Jikara. I've forgotten my purpose. Just because I now consider myself a member of the Hidden Sand does not mean I should reject the power the Hikari has cultivated with me with endless years of effort. I should use all of this because I worked for it. Owari can't take that from me- the blood, sweat and tears of my training. I can use this... for the good of the Hidden Sand."

"I thought you would never come to your senses. I may have been birthed from a forbidden technique, Sansa, but you and I are one and the same. Cursed, but not forgotten. Do not let me be forgotten."

"I understand. As rude as it may seem of me to ask you now after how neglectful I've been, I need your senses. I need you to find someone for me." She bowed her head to the beast, who seemed to scoff, annoyed.

"Releasing me from my binds so late and already asking a favour of me. Fine. Let this be a show of goodwill, now that you've stopped boycotting your true self."

Sansa offered him an old relic from the good times, something she'd taken from Rasa's room- a scarf given to him by his ex-wife. She didn't quite want to give it up, because it was a part of Karura, too. Still, the beast sniffed it, its fur lightly grazing the object. He nodded, locking eyes with Sansa and turning around.

As they walked into the desert, Sansa spared a glance at the dwindling flame of the campfire they'd set. She could feel a mix of emotions within her chest as she followed the beast through the desert. The sand was soft underneath her feet, shaping to her footsteps. She could feel the cool desert breeze blow over her face; it was pretty cold out here at night, but that didn't matter to her as much as finding Rasa.

"Sansa! I found the scent!" The beast roared, almost excitedly. Sansa's attention was captivated as she jumped onto Jikara's back. The two raced into the desert, galloping at a pace that would make even a horse jealous.

"Gaara!" Rena said, shooting up from her little nap. She gasped heavily, feeling the uncomfortable soaking of her clothes. Looking around, she saw Gai staring at her. "Where's Gaara?" She asked.

"Gaara...?" Gai's voice seemed to grow solemn. "That guy... he isn't here. You ended up washing up on the shore of the lake a bit away from here; you were lucky."

"And I wasn't. Gai dived in and assumed I couldn't swim! It was a struggle to get to the surface and we almost both drowned."

"Why didn't you let him take you?" Rena asked.

"Because I'm not a damsel in distress!" Kagura snapped as he wrung out his clothes. "Anyways, who was that four-eyed jerk?! I'll have my father arrest him! He won't get away with what he's done!"

"What he's done...?" From what Rena remembered, he hadn't done anything to them.

"Planning that! I'm sure he planned it! That mastermind must have!" He yelled. "He even gave the medicine back to us!"

"When?"

"I don't KNOW THAT!" Kagura screamed. "He just did! It was just there! He didn't even come out to beg for my forgiveness!" As he huffed, he plopped his butt down on a rock nearby, crossing his arms and glaring out into the darkness. Rena thought that he would make a perfect princess if he never left his castle.

Rena's mind trailed back to the thoughts of the person who saved her. If it hadn't been Gaara, who else could it have been? She wanted to know who saved her. It had to be someone- she was definitely drowning back then, she remembered every moment of it. Gai stood up from beside the fire, offering Rena a fish on a stick. She remembered this kind of food from the Chuunin Exams- which she probably failed. Her eyes softened as she thought of the time spent with Gaara there, clutching the spot over her heart with trembling hands. She missed him so much that it hurt.

Kagura arguing with Gai over the food he offered was drowned out in the background as she thought of him. The warmth was enough to combat the wet and cold of her soaked clothing. "Why should I eat such basic trash?! I demand lobster with caviar, sweet melon, and sauteed sandworm!"

"And where do you plan on getting sandworm?" Rena asked, irate that Kagura had stopped her from daydreaming.

"Well, you'll kill it for me, of course."

"No." The entitlement of this brat had gone too far. "Sandworms are way too dangerous! That's a super rare, super expensive dish! I'm not about to go risking my life for a brat like you!"

"B-brat?! You'll suffer for this when you get back!" Kagura shrieked.

"I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO GO BACK NOW! ANYTHING BUT ANOTHER MOMENT WITH YOU!"

Kagura's face turned ashen as he turned around and sat on a rock, his eyes brimming with tears. He didn't know how to feel- nobody had really stood up to him like that before. All he had to do was give them whatever they wanted and they'd follow him like puppets. But... he knew the truth. That affection had always been so hollow that it didn't matter to him- so he kept demanding more and more from the children of nobility, until he chased them all away.

He realized that perhaps, Rena's acknowledgement was slightly more important than he thought it would be. She... wasn't like those nobles. Even if she was just a peasant, he swore she cared about him! Especially when she let him handle those shinobi tools... was he just messing it all up by demanding more out of her to see if she would give him the kind of love he wanted from his friends? His head turned to view her, lying there, seemingly dozing off.

How could he fix what he broke?


	27. 27 - I Vow To Become The Kazekage

"No, not here." Sansa stood before a raised patch of sand, her breathing unsteady. "It can't be here, you have to be wrong." Despite her protests, she began clawing at the sand with her hands, slowly and painfully. "You are wrong. It's not right, it has to be wrong." Jikara silently watched as Sansa dug further. "Please, god, Rasa... if I've ever wanted anything, this is all. Please, God! Don't hurt me like you always do, please give me this one thing, please! I beg of you, God!"

Her frantic digging only got worse as choked sobs pushed forth from a facade of strength. "Please...! This is all I need! Just this one thing and I won't ask for anything else! Please! Rasa has to be alive!" She prayed to God, hoping that someone would save her from what she was feeling, holding onto that last sliver of hope.

Jikara stood beside her, sitting down and shifting his paws through the sand beside his master, allowing her to be weak for a mere moment. "Rasa, you can't be dead!" She screamed, her voice going hoarse. "You have to make it up to me! You have to make up ruining our relationship! You have two sons and a daughter, for fuck's sake! You have to help your son. You have to let Gaara know that it's possible his father could love him!"

She felt the cold bite of the desert air more than ever, but it wasn't the breeze anymore, it was inside of her, a freezing darkness spreading through her heart and removing the hope she had. "Please... If there is any God in this damned, lonely and cruel world, don't be cruel. Just for once, do something. Anything other than look down and laugh...!" Her tears dripped down onto her hands. She turned her palms toward herself, watching as the droplets of water from her eyes stained them, washing away small bits of dirt. She silently cried, astonished at her own reaction for a moment, before looking up at the sky, clasping her hands together.

"I'll pray. I'll devote myself to you. I don't even know if you exist. I know I've always ridiculed your existence, but right now, I'm turning to a higher power. If you hear me, if you understand, please..." This prayer gave her more strength to dig despite knowing that there was no god. There was nobody out there who could make her feel better, only some invisible being she was trying to rely on with no knowledge of what it was other than what people seemed to guess. Still, as she saw a tuft of red hair, her eyes widened.

It took a few minutes.

But, pulling on the arm, out came a half-eaten Rasa. Bugs scuttled around the corpse, but she couldn't take it- that he was desecrated like this. "Jikara! Blow these bugs away!"

All of her sadness melted into a soft rage before becoming a full brunt anger. She couldn't save him. All she could do was let Jikara blow the bugs into oblivion, to which she held Rasa close, stroking his hair. The scent didn't matter to her all that much- this was her last chance to embrace him. She wished she had responded. She wished she had gone with him.

There was only one thing left to say.

"It was all my fault." Her eyes were blank as she ran her fingers through his hair. It was as if something had snapped in her. "I vowed that the Hidden Sand would be my new home. I told Karura I would protect you. I swore it as my duty!" As she held him tighter, she felt like she was choking. Her heart squeezed tightly, painfully. "I've had enough of this pain. I've had enough of these lifetimes of suffering! Why do I always fail!?" Her eyes softened, looking upon Rasa. "Nobody can hurt you any more, Rasa. I don't know if you're in a better place now or not, but nobody... can harm you."

She stood, her arms under Rasa's knees and supporting his back so she could carry him. Look around her, Jikara had dug up the entire area. There were a set of corpses. The honor guard. People she had known, worked with, drank with, lived with, she knew their families and friends. And by the time she was done looking, her eyes had an alien look in them. Jikara bowed before his master, the tip of his nose touching the sand.

"You have regained who you were."

Sansa's eyes were filled with a cold, dangerous look. Her pupils were gone; nonexistent. Her retinas were just black circles. As she walked out of the hole Jikara had made, she turned her head to look at him. "Being a person isn't good enough. Being a human gets you nowhere. Regret, sorrow, apologizing, forgiveness, love, hate, sadness, happiness. It serves nobody well. The truth is, I am a weapon. I should have remained a weapon. Now, I will do what I can to make up for my mistake. The Hidden Sand will be protected in Rasa's absence. As for his murderers... I will find them and kill them. Not a single soul has the ability to stop me now, not even the Empress."

As if the sand understood the mixture of feelings and thoughts swelling inside of her, as she made her way back to the camp, she no longer left imprints in the sand. It was as if she was a mere ghost, floating over the dunes.

.com watch

The party stood together, in the morning, as mist settled over the lake they had fallen in. Gai was sobbing almost aggressively, crying over having to leave his temporary companions. "I don't want to say goodbye! Are you sure you don't want to come back to the leaf and visit my star pupil?!"

"No, that's not a good idea for a ton of reasons." Rena shook her head. "Kagura has to get back to the Hidden Sand."

"My clothes are still damp," Kagura muttered.

"The desert heat will fix that," Rena replied, coldly. It seemed like she still hadn't gotten over the past day. He really did it now... acting like a problem child got him nowhere. Gai waved as he walked away, and just as Rena was about to turn around, she stopped. "Hey, Gai?"

"Did you change your mind!? We can start training right now!"

"Uh, no. About Lee... is he alright?" Gaara would probably want to know.

"The Hidden Leaf and Sand are on shaky terms, but since the Hidden Sand offered medicine, they're going to consider it water under the bridge. This is the first step to the Leaf and Sand getting along again."

Rena nodded, smiling lightly. "I see. Well, have a good journey. For all my impatience on this mission, I actually liked it a little, I guess."

"You'll be another one of my proteges in no time!" Gai declared, laughing like a maniac before rushing off in the direction of the Hidden Leaf. Rena watched him until he disappeared, before turning back to Kagura, who was looking at her like a scolded puppy.

"What?"

"Listen, peasant! I understand I'm difficult, and hard to deal with, and sometimes not anyone's favourite person." He wasn't starting off on a good note. "But I... would like to be friends with you! You are the first one to say what you really think, the first person to really take what I want into perspective!"

"Then stop calling me peasant."

"Wha?"

"I want you to call me by my name. Rena! I'm Rena Hikari! And I'll call you Kagura. Drop the lord act!" She pointed at him as if to exaggerate what she was saying. "You are Kagura, right?! Whether you're the son of the Daimyo or not, that's not your identity! You can be so much more than just that, so show me the friend that wants to be a shinobi and will do anything- even rush into danger, not the one who just wants to be some prissy rich kid!"

Kagura was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah! I'm gonna be way stronger than you!"

"Dream on, I have to catch up to Gaara!"

"Then you better watch out, I'll surpass you while you're not looking!"

"I'll race you back to the Hidden Sand!" Rena declared, pushing herself into a head start and tearing up grass as she ran.

"And I'll win!" Kagura did the same, head to head with the purple-haired Genin. "Don't underestimate me!"

As they raced off into the rising sun, the desert reflecting the heat, neither could truly understand the hell-storm that was waiting for them back home. At that moment, the world seemed absolutely perfect, like there was hope to go back to.

The innocence of childhood, the frivolity of one's actions, can only last for so long...

**[Song meant for this scene: Yas - Empty Crown.]**

The two finally saw the Hidden Sand in sight; a mass of villagers were at the gate. It had to be at least half of the population out there. "I see, so they're here to welcome me!" Kagura declared. The closer they got, however, the more Rena realized; something was wrong. It was only when she saw the body in Sansa's hands that she realized how wrong everything was.

Her eyes moved to find the Sand Siblings. Temari and Kankuro's faces were desolate as they stared in horror at their father's body. She couldn't find Gaara, but she knew- within seconds, she embraced the two, shoving their faces into her chest. "You can cry, or even scream if you want to! Show all the weaknesses you need to and I won't let anyone see. I won't let anyone judge you!" Kankuro's shoulders began to shake. He wondered if it was possible to feel happy and sad at the same time- his feelings were mixed. As he clutched her clothing, sobbing, only Temari could hold back her tears through gritted teeth. Even so, small streaks of tears went down her cheeks- she was much more silent about it. She appreciated Rena's actions, but weakness wasn't something she could show unless she wanted to be eaten alive.

Gaara stood, away from the rest of the crowd, staring at the corpse of his father. He had imagined this many times before, even was amused by the thought; but nothing was there anymore, other than emptiness. Did he feel sad about his father's death? The answer was no. He wondered if his father would even want, or accept his tears. Looking up at the sky, his hair brushed against his cheeks as the wind blew from behind him. If he was still out there, if there was such a thing as life after death, would he look upon Gaara favourably now?

Would he have room for love in his heart?

"Lord Kagura."

"Ah, Shimada. Here to return me to the capital city?"

Shimada's expression was so sour that it made Kagura's mouth taste bitter. "No," Shimada said. "Your father has been assassinated. Your uncle takes his place, he's disinheriting you of all your titles. He says you should live a long, fulfilling life, and that you should not concern yourself with the title of Daimyo."

Kagura's mind began to crack like shattering glass. Plans, the future... the moments he had talked to his father before he left. His knees buckled and painfully struck the ground. He barely registered the pain of his smarting knees. It was nothing compared to the hurricane wrenching through him now as he tried to process what he'd been told. "But I'm... supposed to be the next Daimyo."

"The Daimyo will not be supporting you financially in any way. He officially denounces your family branch from the honourable name of the Daimyo; this is the best he can do for you."

"Hey!" Kagura screamed as the messenger turned away. "How dare you?! How dare he?! Kill my father, strip my titles, that doesn't matter! It doesn't! I'm... I'm Kagura! I'm part of the honourable family that the true Daimyo has created...! I'm... Kagura!" He protested. "He killed my father... Took my home away... and he wants to act like he's doing me some kind of favour?!" Kagura took a handful of sand and flung it at the messenger with an angry, raw screech. "Sending a messenger rather than saying it to my face? Some leader he is!"

"Please, Kagura. Lord Daimyo only wishes you the best-"

"Don't call him that! How dare you address me so informally?!" Kagura was beginning to break down. "You scum...! Where's your loyalty? Where's my birthright?!"

"The truth is, Kagura... you were always a spoiled brat."

Kagura lunged at the messenger, but Baki was there to pull him back. pain and confusion was in the boy's eyes. Baki's voice was low, but loud enough for Kagura to hear. "There's no fighting your uncle right now."

Baki was right. Kagura couldn't do anything... All of his influence, money and prestige were gone. "Fine. Tell my uncle he can have the title of Daimyo... for now." Kagura's eyes were intense enough to make Kagu back away, shocked by his willpower. "But I'm coming for it, someday. None of his descendants will ever see the light of day. I'll lock them in a prison and throw away the key. I'll starve my uncle to death for what he did to my father. Let's consider this a vacation; I'm going to learn what the people want, and I'm going to take my power back! We'll see who's really the real Daimyo then!"

Shimada laughed nervously, stepping backward, almost tripping over a rock. "Y-you're just a kid! Hurtling insults at something you don't understand! If you say one more thing, I'll arrest you on conspiracy to commit a crime against the Lord Daimyo!"

"Let me see you try!" Kagura challenged, but Baki's grip tightening on his shoulder causing him to turn away. "Fine. Leave my presence." The messenger turned away from Kagura, suspicion still lingering in his mind. Kagura's glare could pierce through anything at this point; he slapped Baki's hand off of his shoulder and began to walk away. He took a quick glance at Rena, the way she was embracing those people in pain...

She said she was his friend. Who cared about those other nobodies?! Why wasn't she comforting him right now? He needed her the most! He was... he didn't... his face fell as he truly realized his situation.

Right now, he was alone. There was nothing. Nobody. All that he had was the shaky friendship he'd almost ruined by being the brat that he was.

You are Kagura, right?! Whether you're the son of the Daimyo or not, that's not your identity!

She was right. He was Kagura. Being the son of the Daimyo wasn't his only identity. It hurt. It hurt to know that everything he thought he would have upon leaving was taken away before he could even get back. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He cried silently, his hands shaking as he felt his head pound. He wanted to panic. He wanted to scream. He was afraid. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to make a new life. He didn't want any of this!

But he had to. He had to forge ahead, not because he wanted to, but because that's the only way he could live.

Rena glanced up, her eyes widening as she stared directly at her assailant from the other night. His mask, his posture- it was him, she was sure of it. He seemed to be staring at her. She glared back, knowing that he had something to do with this. Why else would he have attacked her? Or tried to get her to leave the Hidden Sand? Was there something she had of his that proved his guilt?

It didn't matter! She'd find out why he killed Rasa and out him. She wouldn't just let this go unsolved!

The past two days had gone by in a blur. Rena hadn't really seen any of the Sand Siblings. They hadn't dropped by to visit. It made sense, of course, as they were preparing for their father's funeral. "Why can't I just be in the same room as Rena?" Kagura had asked, over breakfast. Today was the day of the funeral and Su, Suno, Tsukiyomi, Ikari, Rena, Baki, Sansa and last but not least Kagura sat, dining together.

"You're not a Lord anymore, Kagura. This is my house, and that's my engaged daughter." Sansa's voice was bitter and cold. She'd been different, speaking less, spending more time on her own and buried in her work.

"I haven't seen any ring! Also, she would have told me! And I don't want to share a room with Suno and Ikari! There's another unused room, just begging for an owner! Come on!" Rena had sort of forgotten about her own engagement. She didn't really want to think about it today...

Sansa pinched the bridge of her nose. She wasn't in the mood for this at the moment. "Listen, Kagura. I don't run a fucking orphanage. I'm doing this out of the kindness of my fucking heart, so shut the fuck up and take whatever the fuck I give you."

Kagura turned pale. Nobody really wanted to look up- Sansa had never snapped that hard before. Everyone heard the scrape of a chair as Kagura walked away from the table, quietly and silently, resigned to his fate.

**[Emotional Music - A Nostalgic Dream] **

The rest of the morning went by without a sound. Even when Sansa decided to take a brush to Rena's hair and finally try to tame the mess that it was, Rena sat patiently for two hours. It was agonizing, but something she understood that she maybe shouldn't speak for. Even the walk to the funeral was morbid; the sun was shining high in the sky as if it was supposed to be a happy day, the mood completely opposite to what it should be. A beautiful day, not too hot, not too cold... and although it was perfect, it felt like it made it even sadder. The kind of thing that you didn't want someone to miss. The kind of day you took off from work so you might go spend it with the people you love... but nobody would be working that day.

That was one of the perks of it being the Kazekage's funeral.

Even standing in the hall, meant for the procession, Rena realized that it was dreary and stuffy, not quite the right place for one, especially today. The Kazekage's body lay covered on a cold slab of stone, two torch-bearers on either side. People walked forward, paying their respects with a single sand-rose each. It would hide the smell of burning remains, giving off a sweet scent instead of a disgusting one.

Although Rena looked around the hall, she could see only Temari and Kankuro at the front, along with all of the members of the Elder Council and the Kazekage's Council. Sansa and Baki were there, but she was given a seat further away. She hoped they were doing okay, but in the front row, there were whispers.

"He doesn't even want to show up to his own father's funeral?"

"He should never have been born."

"It's better that he doesn't show."

Temari's grip tightened around the sand-rose in her hands. There was nothing she could do. Not about what they'd been saying about their father or Gaara. Her father hadn't been weak! He'd just did what he thought was best for the Hidden Sand...! And it had paid off. They had the Daimyo replaced. Maybe not in the best way, but the outrage the Daimyo had caused by giving all of the work that rightfully belonged to them to the Hidden Leaf was the reason there was ever an issue in the first place. She felt as if her father's death meant something, but nobody would pay attention to that.

All they would see was a Kazekage that had failed and died, as everyone else before him did.

She could hear more frantic whispers, the footsteps of people who turned, surprise and sparks raising through the entire hall. Temari's head turned and her eyes widened as Gaara stepped through the door. He was dressed in all black, a basic, yet respectful outfit. She was surprised he knew funeral etiquette, or even that he showed up at all.

He walked down the aisle, solemn. His eyes couldn't be torn away from his father's body. So, this was the place that everyone came to when they wanted to be with someone, or when they died. Sand trickled down from one of the cracks in the stone ceiling, but he ignored that. Even as he felt the small drip of it on his shoulder, he walked on, uncaring, with only one goal in mind. The hall was silent. Everyone was terrified. A mother held her child to her breast, stroking their hair and whispering praise, hoping that Gaara, the Demon of the Sand, wouldn't snap and kill them all at this moment.

Gaara lifted up his hand. Tears pricked in the corners of the mother's eyes. He plucked a sand rose from one of the nearby bouquets, walking up to his father as he held it, gently, as if it had a soul and mind of its own. He placed it down at his father's side, along with the other roses. Where it belonged. "I want to become someone anyone can rely on. I will protect the Hidden Sand with all of my strength. I will change people's minds about me. I vow... to become the Kazekage!"

His voice bounced off of the hallowed halls, a place where both blessings and tears converged. He stepped away, turning to face the crowd- but one of the torch-bearers dropped their torch. As it fell onto Rasa's body, setting it alight with flame, it illuminated Gaara's figure as he looked at them, the ashes and flames consuming his father flickering. The flames reached higher, so high that it seemed like it might jump off of the stone slab- but they never did. As he turned around to watch his father burn, he felt cathartic, yet sad.

Lonely.

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder caused him to whip around, and he gazed into the lilac eyes of one of the only people who seemed to always know what the right and wrong actions were to take. Like it was instinct to know and do exactly what he wanted. Maybe it wasn't right, but the way the light illuminated her face was beautiful. How could he deal with her being with Kankuro...? How could he forge the path ahead without her at his side? It all had to be for her happiness. What he had to do... would be best for her.

Rena's sudden embrace caused his face to flush red. In front of all these people...?! What was she thinking? "It's going to be alright... Gaara. No matter what, I know you'll be the Kazekage."

Kankuro watched, his expression turning darker. As he watched what should've been heartwarming to him, he realized what this meant for him. Gaara was trying to take everything that he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be Kazekage. He was supposed to be one of the last to say his goodbyes to their father. How could he do that, now that he was on fire?! And most of all, right now, Rena was supposed to be comforting him!

Kankuro didn't want to see this. He rationalized with himself. Rena was comforting his brother as a friend, right? And... his brother didn't understand just how much the title of Kazekage meant to him. As for his father, that was an accident of the torch-bearer, not his brother.

And he hoped... that was all it was.

"I wonder what Lady Owari's thoughts are on letting Rena run free like this. Can't mean anything good for us, right?" Kinju sat back in the chair supplied for him back at Kyuden. It had been a quick journey, considering he memorized the right routes and blackmailed a few people for speedy transportation. He couldn't be bothered to walk everywhere as Owari did. Their leader was, after all, quite a stand-out. She always took back paths with all of her fancy clothing that put quite a hit into their budget, which always annoyed him.

"Kinju. Why is that my problem? You're the only one Owari listens to. Why not just tell her to take Rena back?" The man beside him retorted, holding what looked like a turkey baster. In the seat before him sat a girl, tears streaking her face. She struggled as much as she could, but she was strapped to the chair.

"Because you know she gets touchy when it comes to Rena. Anything else, any other subject, and I would right away. But this one... it's a little out of my paygrade." The other man dropped the turkey baster, giving Kinju a glare. "What?"

"Payday, paygrade, it's always about money with you. Why not take a moment to enjoy what you do- to enjoy life? You have one. You live it. Then you die. Time is the true currency. And frankly, you wasting my time with these boring conversations about wanting to do something instead of planning to do it isn't my idea of how I want to spend my life." The man shrugged, before resuming his previous project. "Come back when you have something more interesting to say."

"She doesn't remember any of us. She doesn't know about what, or who, she is. And the funniest part- she has friends now. Emotional. It's kind of strange, to see her like that." Just before the turkey baster reached the struggling girl's eye, the scientist-doctor paused.

"This is something that is worth my time. Take me to her, now."

"Are you sure you want to risk incurring Owari's wrath? I was seen visiting her last time by that spider-bitch."

The doctor raised his eyebrow. "Have I ever said something I don't mean, Kinju? I want to go, so you'll take me." His head turned, as he took a glance at his subject. "I guess I could change my plans for you..." The girl paled, trying to scream out as he reached for her...

**[Grandson - Stick Up]**

The sound of doors swinging open caught the attention of Merui. She thought she was the only one in the bathhouse, tending to the flowers there, but her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Let me take the mantle of Kazekage. History doesn't have to remember me, but the Hidden Sand needs protection." The vase of flowers slipped through Merui's fingers, crashing onto the floor. Water washed over her feet as she couldn't hide her surprise. "I won't do anything that puts the Elder Council out of commission."

Merui grinned. "Really? You and I working together? Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?"

As the sun hit the roof, the person talking to Merui was exposed to the beams. Sansa stood before her, a distant look in her eyes. "Maybe, but don't lie- right now, the village needs somebody."

"So be it, Sansa. You won't be remembered by history, but you can be the temporary, acting Kazekage." Merui brushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes. "But don't blame me when the world falls apart around you. People in the seat of Kazekage find that they can't live normally, without a single care..."

"What makes you think that I lived without a care in the first place?" Although the two were at odds, it was clear neither of them knew enough about each other. Sansa turned away. "I'll make it work until Kankuro takes my place. That is all I am doing this for."

"Good. I like how similar we think." They thought of the same person, for different reasons. Merui wanted her granddaughter to finally end the cycle... And Sansa wanted Rena's life to be perfect.

Will the snake eat its own tail, or will it finally succeed...?


	28. 28 - Strangers In The Sand

Soft fingers plucked at the strings of an instrument as birds flit around the beautiful plateau. The woman playing it brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, before glancing up at the sky. A wistful, longing glance that felt eerie, yet lonely. A single tear trickled down her cheek. "Please, Rena, hurry and grow up…"

Rena was racing through the streets of Sunagakure. She ran down a few alleys, jumping over and sliding under objects in her way, doing the best she could. The Kunai Wall Run was something she wouldn't be able to do until she ascended the ranks, but she still wanted to be in top shape for it! Behind her, Su tripped and stumbled over a set of crates, not used to going through such a cluttered path. Rena rushed back over to her, helping her up. "Are you all right, Su?!"

"I'm fine… you've fallen ten times more than I have today." Rena was trembling; that much Su could sense, even if she couldn't see the scuff marks on her legs. She smelt blood, however, with a thicker iron scent than usual. She'd heard the crashes Rena had into the crates; eyesight wasn't something she needed. Still, it seemed like Rena was a lot less there than usual. She wasn't paying much attention to Su. Admittedly, it had been a hectic few days, so Su didn't want to bother her with all of this. It'd only been a week after they got back, after all, and everyone needed to get settled. Maybe… Would it get better later?

As Su got up, Rena's head turned in the direction of the Kazekage's home. Her eyes softened. She was strangely silent. In Su's perspective. Did she not want to be here? Did she have other plans…? Why would she agree to a training session if she was going to be distracted…?

Su couldn't help it. She was jealous. Su wanted more of Rena's time, but most of all wanted Rena to be all there when they were together, although there was one person that kept popping up into Su's mind. "Why don't we go and visit Kankuro?" That was who Rena wished to see, too. They were about to get married, after all.

"Oh, uh, sure!" The undertone in her voice was happy. Su smiled- of course that was it. She was sure that Rena hadn't spoken to Kankuro since the funeral. It would be hard, but Su had to support their marriage. She couldn't be the friend that held Rena back from something she truly deserved.

She could feel it as Rena's hand slipped into hers, pulling her along. It'd been a while since she'd felt another's skin on her own- she usually shied away from it, seeing as her skin was venomous. It didn't seem to affect Rena, one of the only people she knew she wouldn't damage.

Rena was thinking about Gaara. There wasn't much else she could do- although this was usually the case. Rena thought of him always, one of the only things she did daily other than secretly training to get past Sansa. Rena hadn't seen her mother since the funeral, same with everyone else.

As she stopped before the home of the Kazekage, she stared up, looking at a window- hoping to catch a glimpse of turquoise eyes staring back at her. There was nothing in the window but disappointment. Not literally, figuratively, but it was pretty dark and impossible to see through, so it was a bit similar to disappointment.

Rena knocked at the door, three quick raps before stepping back- the door swung open slowly, and before she knew it, she could feel her hand on another's skin as she was pulled inward too fast for her to react. She heard the slam of the door almost immediately after Su's hand slipped out of hers; she had moved so quickly Rena felt like she had whiplash.

A tumbleweed passed by Su outside, who didn't know what was going on. "H-Hello…?" She tried calling but to no avail. She twiddled her fingers as she waited, her heart sinking. Had she been forgotten, just as easily as that?

"Rena!" As Rena's head stopped whirling, her vision came into focus as she saw a casually-dressed Kankuro. "It's nice to see you… even though everything has been a little hectic recently." She swore she could see a tinge of red flushing across his cheeks. "But we've got to focus, and we need to honor his memory as quickly as possible!"

"What do you mean?"

"My father's last wish. You and I are getting married." Rena felt like her entire world was crashing down around her. This marriage was the thing she had been trying so hard to ignore and avoid, right in front of her, forcing her to confront a problem she didn't want to acknowledge. "It has to happen next month. I was contacting the planner; we already have the venue. I've already taken care of the cake- it'll be the biggest you've ever seen!" He was so excited. "Now, I have a few color schemes here- what do you think of purple and white?"

"Kankuro, I don't-"

"You're right, that's a little bit too much. Gold and beige represent the Hidden Sand better, as our marriage will." He laid out different pamphlets, looking through what looked like seed packets. "I had seeds of flowers for your wedding bouquet imported from every single country. We still have some issues with the trade routes, but I sent someone before, you know. The Chuunin Exams." His eyes softened as his fingers lingered over the packets. "I thought you'd want to grow your bouquet and then press it after, have it framed above our bed."

"We should probably-"

"Talk about floral arrangements, yeah. I was thinking of sand roses-"

"No!" He was taken aback by the desperation and surprise in her voice. It seemed like, for a moment, he would slow down and stop.

"You're right, that's too morbid. The roses are burned with the dead, after all…"

That wasn't the reason she didn't want sand roses. She thought back to her days as a child, with Gaara, days spent exploring, adventuring, and playing. Sand roses were beautiful then, just as they were now- especially considering he gave them to her. She wouldn't desecrate that memory with something as ridiculous as this, something she didn't even want! "Kankuro, I think that-"

"The other thing we have to speak about is rings. I know that we haven't conventionally done this, but I want a true wedding, one that's ultimately traditional. I know people have gone crazy over the beautiful dresses recently, but I have a feeling a kimono will do better for our needs." A… kimono? That wasn't her at all. She didn't want to wear one, especially not for her wedding. She wanted to choose this kind of thing for herself. "And I've already picked one out- It's gorgeous. Turquoise goes well with your hair. I'm having modifications made immediately."

"Kankuro!" The rage in the person's voice caused him to jump in fear. It was Temari, who grabbed Rena's hand. "Take a goddamn hint, why don't you?!" She pulled Rena to the stairs, but Kankuro moved to stop them.

"Where are you taking her? We have a wedding to plan in under a month!"

"Away from you." Temari spat, dragging her up the stairs as Kankuro watched helplessly. Rena was happy to get away from him- he was a good friend, but a friend was all he was. All the girl felt he could ever be. Even if things were changed, Rena wondered if she could ever see Kankuro as anything more than what he was. Rena supposed Kankuro was pretty good-looking for being a boy since it didn't make her sick to look at him or anything, but it just didn't have that spark. That intoxicating spark she felt around Gaara. She wished that Gaara would have been the one to save her, but she couldn't always have it her way.

"Temari…"

"I get it, Rena. I understand what's going on. Trust me, I know more about your situation than you do." Temari led her into her room, the door coming to a full close behind them, a finite, small click.

Kankuro still couldn't stand up to his sister. Something popped up in the back of his head, an annoying little thought he tried to shoo away, but he swore he saw something behind Rena when he'd dragged her inside. It wouldn't hurt to check, would it? He opened the front door, and his eyes were almost bulging as he stared at Su. "I'm so sorry! Come inside, don't just wait out there." He stepped aside, and Su took a moment to realize he was inviting her in. She followed his lead, hoping she wouldn't run into anything.

"Where's Rena?"

Upstairs, Temari glanced out of her window. She looked more sad than happy, but that was understandable, considering all that had happened recently. "When I was a little girl, I asked my father if I could be Kazekage." She turned her head, staring at Rena. "It was a simple, harmless little question. To me, at least. But my father took it differently. He told me I could never be Kazekage, that a woman could never hold such an absolute position of power here."

"But, there has to be female Kage-"

"Other villages don't matter!" Temari snapped, pausing, her face falling from rage into another sad expression. "I'm sorry. There are. There have been. Just not…. Here. This is the Hidden Sand, and it values tradition and bloodlines above all." She sat down on her bed, looking down at her feet. "I didn't even want to be Kazekage, you know? I just wanted to know that, like my brother, I could be. And his answer was, 'You'll never be able to.'"

"I didn't know Rasa was like that…"

"He wasn't. A Kage captures the hearts of their people with strength and conviction. I understand that now." I can't be Kazekage, because the people would never accept me. It wasn't my father's fault. It's the way this entire village thinks- and it gets worse the more you know." She patted the spot beside her, which Rena took, gratefully.

"Temari?"

"I… wasn't expected to be the strongest. That was never my role, you know. Women in my family have a history of being married off to those loyal to our clan, to strengthen ties. To give their children a chance to be Kazekage. And, if I'm honest, it's not just my family- women in the Hidden Sand are expected to marry those who have been chosen for them."

"Living a life like that…"

"Is something you already have a taste of. I know that my father and your mother had your wellbeing in mind, but I think I can see what you want. I care about you a lot, but I also care about my brothers, Rena. I may not have shown it enough in the past, and I may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but you're close to me too. I don't want there to be a day where I have to choose sides. Whether it be one of theirs, or yours, but this is your choice, so you tell Kankuro no if you really, truly mean no. Just don't hurt him."

"You're not usually as soft-spoken as this, Temari." Rena didn't know how to take it. She'd always been sisterly, but right now, Rena could see the pain of being a big sister. She didn't want to choose between family members. And maybe Rena did see Kankuro as a friend, but he was also basically family.

"Don't make me regret this, Rena. The person I have to marry is seven years older than me. I've never even met him before. I know it's different for you and Kankuro, but I'd never dream of telling you to deal with being married to someone you don't love."

"Is it… that obvious?"

"You cringe every time he does something to get your attention. Or, you disappear whenever he calls for you. I find you looking for Gaara no matter what the time of day is, and when I see you with him, it's like the world you're in has no room for anyone else. I don't think Kankuro ever had a chance, even from the beginning." Rena flushed, unsure of how to respond to Temari. Jeez, she thought it was obvious, but that apparent that anyone could look at her and Gaara and see the spark?! "There is one more thing. Kankuro can survive the pain of rejection. I'm sure he can. But Gaara…. Gaara is delicate. Even if it hurts, I will choose him over you. So never do anything that can harm him, got it?" The intensity in Temari's expression and words caused Rena to freeze. What had brought this on?

"I won't. I won't ever hurt Gaara!" Rena nodded, a little bit too much for Temari's taste, but Temari could tell- Rena's intentions were pure. They always had been. She smiled at the girl, wrapping her in a warm embrace- one of the only hugs she would ever give even in the confines of privacy.

"All right. I'll get you out of here; I know how hard this can be. The men in my family are exceptionally stubborn." That much was true. Both of them had declared their intention to be Kazekage. Even if she could side with Rena on this matter, there was no third option or middle ground in that fight- she would have to choose one or the other eventually. Kankuro, or Gaara. The one left in the dust would be hurt.

Downstairs, Su and Kankuro had been discussing the wedding. "Su, what do you think of the wedding so far? Do you think all my plans for it are right?"

"I do think they're thoughtful, yes." Su nodded, but her mood bordered on hesitation. "But…"

"But?"

"I don't think that Rena, or you, should get married so soon." Why would she say something like that?! What compelled her to do so, especially without any thought?! "I mean, there's just a lot of things to experience in life, you know? There's no telling that you two will love each other forever yet, and she's just been back for a few months, right?"

"That doesn't matter." The bitterness in Kankuro's voice made her wince. "I've spent half of my life agonizing over her disappearance. Now that she's back, I never want her to be gone again. I want to protect her and make her life amazing! I want to provide her with anything she wants, what's so wrong with that?!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. It's just, not everyone's love stands the test of time." As with her brother.

"Ours will." Kankuro sounded so sure, so absolute, that Su felt like she was heavy for some reason. Was it because she'd never been so sure or complete about anything other than protecting Rena? She understood the feeling. Rena stood for Su in her lowest moment to pull her up and help her out. Maybe she'd done the same for Kankuro when he needed it, too. To call Rena kind was one thing- sometimes she was, sometimes she wasn't, but loyal...

Her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps echoing around her. There were too many to know if it was real or not- it could be, but she doubted it. They suddenly ceased. "As much as I'd like for you guys to stay, Kankuro and I have a mission." She recognized the voice; Temari, someone she hadn't interacted with much and doubted she would. She shied away from the stranger.

"I haven't heard about any new mission, and I think I've got to stay and plan the wedding-"

"Kankuro." The edged malice in Temari's voice was enough for him to stop speaking and become compliant. He watched as her curled fist rose into the air, fearful of Temari's iron punches. The last time he stepped out of line and ate her favorite dish she'd purposely made leftovers for, she blew him away so far that he had to walk for a day to get back to the Hidden Sand. He wasn't going to risk that again, that would just be wasting more time than he needed to.

"Alright. I guess I'll see you later, Rena! Uh… I'll drop by your house, and we can talk." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, turning away sadly. Rena opened the door, only to almost run face-first into the person she'd been searching for. Her eyes lit up.

Gaara wanted to speak to her, too. But behind her, he could see Kankuro watching them, reminding himself of his position here- how he had no foothold to do anything. He pushed past her, past Su, who stepped aside in a hurry as Gaara rushed up the stairs.

Su hated that boy. His smell- even though he seemed to have changed personality-wise- would remain for a long time. He still smelled like blood. She didn't want anything to do with him- Rena still needed to be protected from that boy most of all. Rena watched as Gaara left, hearing the slam of his door.

"Well… goodbye."

It was only after Rena and Su had departed that Temari decided she had to say something. "Kankuro… are you sure about this?"

"Why is everyone so on me about this?! First Su and now you?! What's the problem with marrying the person you love?"

"Are you so sure that she loves you?"

Kankuro paused, looking around the room at all of the paperwork he had been filling out, all of the alternative wedding options, the color schemes. All of the time, effort, and thought he had put into this was more than he had ever applied himself to anything else. He had already made a list of acceptable gifts. "Well… she has to."

"No, she doesn't," Temari replied. "Have you ever, just once, sat her down and asked her if this was her idea, or how she felt about this? You seem more excited about this wedding than she does."

"How would you know?"

Although he wanted to deny it immediately, he couldn't argue with his sister. She'd never explicitly said she loved him. Never even alluded to it. Not once. He had been open with his feelings, but he couldn't ever recall a point where she'd been clear about hers other than with the things she'd done during the Chuunin Exams with Gaara, the things he had been ignoring. He'd acknowledged them once, but he refused to again. If he did, he wasn't so sure he could save his heart. "You don't have to listen to me, brother, but you'd be an idiot if you didn't."

Gaara's heart was still beating fast from the little interaction between him and Rena. He pressed himself up against the door, flattening his back, his heart hammering away in his chest and making it hard to breathe. His cheeks felt like they were buzzing, warmth bursting from the deepest parts of him, overtaking him. He had felt so weird, looking at her. He just wanted to leave the room right away, so he did. Thoughts of the funeral, of her comfort and embrace, flooded his mind- why now, he'd never understood- and caused him to slide down, covering his face with his hands as he tried to stop the buzz. A small smile crossed his face, sincere and hopeful, replaced with a grimace as he realized that she'd been with Kankuro. His brother.

Something as involved as marriage had never crossed his mind. He assumed he would never have to know anything about it because he'd never have anything to do with it. He hadn't thought about it in the past. Only recently did he pay any attention to it. His parents had been married before his mother's death, but that was the extent of his knowledge back when he was still the old him. Only the people who needed to be married did it, so he wondered why Kankuro and Rena had to. It was only for people who loved each other, but what was love? Was it what Naruto did for him, or was it how Rena stayed by his side, or his siblings when they cooked meals every night and stored them away so he could have them when he was hungry?

What was love? For him and everyone else? He said he loved her. Did that mean a feeling was love? That this weird, strange heat overtaking him and changing his usual behavior, making him think differently, was the answer to his question?

**[Fooling Mode - Naruto OST]**

"So, you say you have a way to get into the Hidden Sand? Without sneaking in?"

"That's what these robes are for, stupid."

"You're the stupid one, make no mistake, Kinju."

"Oh, doctor, how can you break my poor, innocent heart like this?!" Kinju shook his head, clapping his hands to his cheeks, feigning an agonized expression. "And to think you're always so needy when you want something, but so quick to insult me! Am I just a tool to you?"

"Basically."

"Heresy! They say love thy spouse!"

Ignoring Kinju's statement, the doctor stared at the wall of the Hidden Sand, before what was mainly the border guard. "What's the plan?"

Kinju glanced back at the doctor, who held a chain in his hand. His eyes trailed up to the other robed figure, her face obscured. She was silent and didn't struggle much- she had nothing binding her. Although Kinju and the doctor were initially cordial, they had grown up beside each other and were equals in the bloodline. It meant that, mostly, both were on the same level, had no reason to disrespect one another, and no reason to fight one another. In other words, friends. Or, whatever term the Hikari coined it- 'loose acquaintance,' as Kinju would claim to any onlooker.

"Well, for one, keep her quiet. I have papers- I supply a few shops past the walls, and these documents are forged to make me look like a nobleman in the capital of the Wind. You're my bodyguards, I've only hired you on two occasions. The girl is your daughter, raised to be feral, so you keep her on a leash."

"I'm stuck, eternally, at twenty-five. In what world would I have a daughter?"

"We both are. Here's the story. You're a notorious whore. You're pretty enough to have worked the red-light district for some coin. Just think about it- it's a perfect alibi."

"I hate sex; sex is boring."

"You know, there's always been one constant between the two of us- we both find the other infinitely boring, but we're the only company each other will have for a very long time other than those other fools back home, You're obsessed with logic and I believe the world runs on money which means I'm always right."

"In a world where you are right, everyone else would name it a tragedy."

"And in a playwright's words, a tragedy is a type of play everyone would come to see, so it all works out in the end."

The two locked eyes, lightning bolts coming between them. Either way, their argument had always been either money over logic, or logic over cash. Their ideals, of course, clashed with Owari's- but that was what made her so enjoyable to follow. Her word was usually law for everyone, no matter the implications or the differing opinions. The doctor respected his clans-members, but that didn't mean he had to like all of them. "Let's get on with it already, then. And I'm not a whore."

"Fine." Kinju sighed, walking up to the guard outside of the city. He began to ruffle through his satchel, bringing out identification papers. "I'm Kanagi Gozen, of the Gozen Family. I'm sure you've heard of my prestige, so must we draw out this interaction? I own several establishments and supply even more here. You understand, don't you? Then let me through."

"Who's with you?" The guard checked over his identification papers, and assuming he saw nothing suspicious, handed them back to Kinju. "They don't look like anyone from here."

"Well, seeing as your incompetent Kazekage started a war with the Hidden Leaf, I figured I'd hire someone who could protect me. They're a freak show, too, so it's pretty entertaining- one, I found in a whorehouse. For shinobi, too. Some people like it freaky, or a certain kind of Jutsu, if you know what I mean." The doctor would have probably speared Kinju if he didn't want to see Rena so severely. He'd still do it, just later. That damn bastard deserved it. "And that other one, on the chain? That's his fucking daughter. Sick. The mother didn't want anything to do with it, so she locked it in a basement, and then when she decided she didn't want to feed it anymore, she threw it at the poor man. I decided to help their financial situation a little." The Hidden Sand guard recoiled in disgust, allowing the three to pass by him. Kinju waved to him on the way by, but he heard the man mutter.

"Jeez, noblemen are fucking disgusting."

"Put up your hood, Kinju, or you'll ruin this before it's started. Sansa hates you, you know."

"Sansa hates both of us. She'd rather paint the walls with our blood than stop and have a nice, friendly little chat." Kinju shrugged nonchalantly. "If it gets ruined, it gets ruined. I wanna explore, anyways- I've never been here personally, always sent paid messengers."

"As it should be, you're absolute trouble when left on your own. Why is it that every mission or operation we've ever been on together, you make up some elaborate lie to tell people to worm your way through?"

"Why, doctor, it's to remind me of how much of a jerk you are. And that you exist, and you aren't just a mass hallucinogen made from some mold in the fortress walls."

"You're an idiotic genius."

"Can't relate." He felt the whap at the back of the head before it even happened, but that didn't stop Kinju from face planting into the ground from the force of the doctor's hand. He slowly moved to get up, sighing as he turned around to glare at the man.

"I am smart."

"Nobody was saying you weren't, Doctor."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed, but he shook his head and began to advance deeper into the heart of the Hidden Sand. He had to continually stop Kinju from wandering him off, nearly taking the chain off of the girl and placing it on his companion. "I want to explore, Doctor. You keeping me here is limiting my freedom."

"I give you freedom, and you-" By the time he had turned to answer Kinju, the Doctor found himself and the girl alone, nothing but a cold breeze passing over them. "God damn you. Ten minutes until we're chased from the Hidden Sand." The Doctor raised his arm, which had a watch- setting it carefully to time ten minutes for an alarm; he knew he would have to do what he came for fast.

The Doctor turned to his latest victim, checking the area just in case there were observers. He devised there were none in the immediate area, as he couldn't even feel eyes on his back. Procuring a thin syringe from his pocket, he tested that the liquid would, indeed, come out of the needle, tapping it quickly before turning to the woman, who moaned.

He tightened the chain around his hand before yanking her toward him. She swayed, stumbling, almost falling over, but never quite managing to topple. She went quiet, lifeless yet small, slight motions gave her away as alive and more than just a statue. "Oh, you pitiful creation, you. All I can do for you now is free you of your misery." He stabbed the needle, deep into the woman's neck, before pushing the liquid into her bloodstream. It would take a few moments. "Be free of all sadness, fear, and doubt. Be a true, steadfast beast, living only to devour."

He watched as tears formed in the girl's eyes as the last spark of intelligence faded from her mind, the serum eating away at her humanity. She dropped to all fours, scuttling away and growling like a feral toddler. "I will not retake your freedom. Your new state is irreversible, beast. Your mind has shattered, and your humanity is gone. You can barely understand my words as they are." It began to turn away, but the Doctor realized he'd forgotten the most crucial part. "Stop." The beast came to a halt. The suggestive effect on its mind remained, and it would for maybe a minute more. "As you are now won't do. You're a useless civilian with the mind of a beast- I need you to wreak greater havoc if we're going to save Kinju from his idiocy." He beckoned to the beast, which followed his lead.

His hands flew through many hand signs, never missing a single beat. He felt chakra flow through him, building up before he paused. "Beast Creation Jutsu! Wind Imbuement!" His hand slapped the chest of the civilian, allowing his chakra nature to overtake whatever the civilians might have been. At that same moment, his touch opened up the first chakra limiter the civilian had within, allowing the beast's chakra to explode to a higher level. His hand slid up and tapped the second chakra limiter, causing the creature to scream in pain. "You can't handle any more of this without spontaneously combusting on the spot. You have an hour to live, beast. But, perhaps if you kill more people and take their lives, yours will remain." He'd have to make a note to use a shinobi next time. He could feel the thrum of the beast's heart, now that he linked himself to it through Jutsu- and even when it shot away, he could feel it on the move.

The Doctor turned and walked away, the breeze that the beast left behind caused his cloak to billow out. He had to find Rena. That was his purpose here.

**X**

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**I'm gonna die if I don't sleep. I just separated all of the chapters, which took four hours, did minor edits. I feel like I've gotten a lot better at writing through writing this! Trust me, it's been a LONG time since chapter one- five months, at _least._**

**With that in mind... **

**WOO! **

**I'm so excited~! I'll be able to update more normally, like maybe six times a week or so~~~**

**I got so into writing that I kinda forgot how great shorter chapters were and as my passion grew, so did the length of the chapters!**

**Should I continue to place music at points in the chapters? I'd usually just link them, but instead, I wrote the titles of the songs and who they're by. **

**P.S. Even if nobody ever sees this, I'm proud of myself. I don't know if anyone will like it, or even get this far, but I've poured a lot of time and hard work into this and I can see myself improving. Even a paid grammar program can no longer detect any problems in my text!~**

**Thank god, it's actually kind of _really expensive_, so I'll probably just use it for three months more.**

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**X**


	29. 29 - Fearlessness Is Stupidity

Kinju had dropped down a well, having a knack for finding hidden things. Maybe he should've focused on trying to find the shops he sponsored, but Kinju felt that would be too boring- he smelt money elsewhere. Bigger, better pay. Unfortunately, although he was close to the Kazekage's vault, a rainy-day-fund for the Hidden Sand, he was closer to the ANBU operation's quarters. Walking through the corridor, he found himself in an open room, so it was no surprise there was a significant amount of ANBU there. He wasn't trying to hide his presence, either, so they all turned- watching him- before sounding the alarm. "Invader! There's an invader!"

"We know that. We can see the invader right in front of us."

Kinju decided to turn, rushing back down the passageway he came, only to collide with another person. "I never thought you would be stupid enough to come here and let me see you all at once." He could feel tingles run down his spine, recognizing the voice of his to-be assailant, her blue eyes glimmering in the light, her face pouting, anger infecting her voice. His heart almost skipped a beat. "You know full well, I fucking despise you, and now I'm going to drain you of every drop of blood you have in your body."

Sansa saw nothing but a writhing maggot, a disgusting creature of the Hikari, one she had assumed dead. It wasn't any good news to her that he was alive; she would've preferred he'd found his death like all the others.

Kinju saw a glorious battle goddess, one who stood tall even when discriminated against, or when the odds stacked against her. Although words of worship were meant to spill from his mouth, what came out was, "Oh, look. It's the pathetic little bug that kept following me when we were kids."

"That was one time, one time you ruined my life over!"

"It's not my fault that everyone else snubbed you after they learned what a stalker you were." Gorgeous battle goddess, if only she would stomp on him!

"I'm going to tear each of your organs out one by one, so they have enough time to regenerate so I can do it all over again!" She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, smashing him against the wall hard enough that it cracked behind him. He immediately deduced that he wanted her to have his children. God, how he missed her beatdowns- he'd let her hit him a few times first to get him off before he inevitably escaped, leaving her in the dust. He had time, he was sure.

Gaara had decided to leave his room via his window. Chasing after Rena would be suspicious otherwise, and he wanted to be sure that nobody would alert Sansa of his behavior. As he phased into sand, rushing out into the open and, like a rushing wind, sweeping Rena in his embrace. Su wouldn't know what had happened, other than a lingering smell of blood as she turned. "Rena?" She heard nothing. She didn't even feel the small tremor of Rena's steps.

Gaara stopped on a rooftop, his hands on Rena's waist. She turned, surprised to see him, before wrapping her arms around him. "Gaara…!" It took a moment for him to realize she was hugging him, so he gently placed his arms around her, as not to hurt her as he did in the Chuunin Exams. She was so soft. So gentle. He felt like he was being driven crazy by it.

"Rena…" She tightened her grip on him, the fabric of his shirt bunching up in her hands. "I'm sorry. There's a lot of people who don't want to see me with you."

"Why does that matter? I want to be with you every day, Gaara! I want to be as strong as you, and I want to be a shinobi!" She pressed herself against him, and he could feel it as her heart pounded. His own began to thrum a similar tune, matching hers. He knew that what they were doing would be considered wrong by anyone else who perceived their relationship. He couldn't help it. Staying away from her just wasn't possible. He wasn't even thinking about forgiveness right now. Maybe he was only a naive child, and he understood that. He was surprisingly self-aware despite his naivete of the world around him, but he wanted to remain this way. Even if it meant not understanding, this was okay, as long as he could stay like this.

But he knew he couldn't. That lingering voice in the back of his mind had finally come front and center to pull him back into reality. He felt like something inside of him was breaking as he pulled away from Rena. The comfort and warmth were gone the moment her touch receded, and all she could see was him looking at her with an alien expression.

"Gaara?"

"Your life is already going to be difficult, Rena. I want you to understand that people don't want us to be together. I don't want us to be together." He glanced away from her face. He didn't want to see the pain that was crossing it now.

"Y-You're lying! Sansa got to you. Sansa made you say something like this, right!?"

"No. I thought it would be obvious." He had started this, and he had to go through with it. She had given him everything. Everything he had wanted and more, so it was okay if it ended now, and he made her hate him as long as it kept her safe, and out of Merui's grasp. Out of anyone's prying eyes. Sticking around with him would hinder her future as a kunoichi, or even a civilian if that's what she decided to stay. "Haven't I been calling you annoying since the beginning? Every single time I turned a corner, you were there, clinging to me. Saying something stupid like I believe in you." He walked to the edge of the roof they stood on, glancing back. "You're a weakling. You always have been. You haven't proven to me you have any strength- you haven't proven that your weakness will be anything beneficial to me. There's no reason for me to keep stringing you along."

"But I… I know I haven't gotten any stronger." Rena's voice was hesitant, trembling as she searched for a reason for Gaara to stay. "But I'm working on it, I promise! I'll catch up to you, give me more time!"

His heart felt like it was being torn out. "No matter how much time passes or how hard you try, you'll always be what you've always been; nothing."

And like that, he was gone. He didn't look back as he burst into sand and floated away with the wind. He didn't even care where he was going. He just wanted to get out of the Hidden Sand, away from everything and everyone. As he phased out of his travel mode, he tripped over a trash can in a back alley, his breakfast becoming a half-digested puddle on the sand. Tears dripped freely from his eyes as he staggered away, disgusted with himself.

He could feel the presence of the Shukaku coming closer, the beast tentatively waiting for him to let down his guard so it could strike and wrestle control from the boy.

Why did he have to get upset and approach her? Why couldn't he be content with avoiding her forever?

For one touch, a single embrace, he'd thrown it all away and confused her further. At least before, he could've spoken a rushed word to her. Now, he couldn't even throw a glance her way. "She didn't think you would be able to do it, kid."

Gaara turned to glance at a woman, clearly a member of the ANBU, glaring at him. He hadn't even realized she was there, which was surprising- there weren't many shinobi this powerful in the Hidden Sand. Maybe twelve, at most. The title of Jonin had been given to many freely, but few could be called a true Jonin. He has heard about this family- loyalists to his father. They had a special mask that distinguished them from the rest of the ANBU, complete with numbers- and this woman's cover was number one.

She was the head of the Kuki Clan.

"But I guess you surprised us both. You did what you had to do for the girl. Now, you'll do what you have to do for us."

"What do you mean?" He was ready to fight if it came to it. He half expected her to tell him to die. If it was another assassination attempt, he was ready. Particles of sand flowed around him, through his fingers- he was not going to take anything this village had to throw at him. Not today. Not right now.

"Relax. I'm not going to kill you- and I won't, as long as you listen to me." Gaara regarded the woman with caution but allowed himself to calm. She proceeded when she saw he was less inclined to attack. "You've proven there's more to you than just a monster. Sansa will be pleasantly surprised. She wishes to help you become a normal Shinobi of the Hidden Sand."

**[Wozwald (English Cover), Will Stetson]**

The stress of everything weighed down heavily upon Rena's shoulders as she walked through the alleys. To home, maybe? She grasped herself, her mind reeling over Gaara's words. The incoming marriage with Kankuro kept popping into her mind, and she wanted to find words that would escape her throat- something that would allow her to tell Kankuro that she didn't feel the same way, but then she recalled the way Gaara had just made her feel.

What if Kankuro felt the way about her that she did about Gaara?

It was a stupid, silly little thought, but to imagine something like that- crushing someone's heart so quickly- made her queasy. How was she supposed to get through the day now? Darkness crept up on her like a silent stalker, making its presence known. It didn't have to be physical to poison her mind. "I have to be stronger… if I'm stronger, then it doesn't matter who says no, right?" She glanced at her hands, stretching them out before her. It was as if she was an alien in her own body with how much hatred she was directing at herself now. "I have to do my best…"

"Excuse me, child." Her head shot up as she locked eyes with a tall man, his face obscured by his cloak. She looked him up and down. The only genuinely distinctive part about him, other than the cover itself being pitch black, was the white peeking out beneath the hem. Some skirts, maybe? "I couldn't help but overhear your conundrum. You want to get stronger, yes?"

"I don't know what that word means." She was honest. He liked that. He was surprised she was so eager to speak to him, but then again, she had never been too cautious about anything. Back then, though, she never had a reason to be.

"It means that you have a problem- one I may assist you in fixing if you'd let me."

"You mean you can help me get stronger?!l"

Her enthusiasm was cute. She was so different- as if she fit in with all these other lesser beings, acting as they did, without a care in the world. If only she saw the potential. If only she knew her past. Still, the Doctor wasn't going to tell her anything- it was more fun to watch her struggle and rise to the call all on her own, without his help. However, becoming what they wanted her to be would need a bit of a helping hand. A catalyst, if you would. "I have a gift for you, child. It's an extraordinary gift; I make medicine. I'm a doctor." He rummaged around in his cloak, searching for something. His face lit up as he grasped the object. He withdrew it, holding up a vial; it glinted in the sunlight, a clear-ish brown fluid reflecting light around the alleyway. "This gift is very volatile, girl. That means you cannot just go swallowing at any time you want to."

She reached out to grab it, but he held it high from her grasp. "Why can't I have it now?"

"Because, little bird, to drink this vial means that no matter what, your desperation to live is greater than that of your fear of death. Don't take this warning lightly, caged one." He finally released the vial into her hands, which she examined.

"It doesn't look that dangerous."

"Sometimes it's the things that don't look dangerous that are the most harmful to you."

"But, I want to be stronger now…"

"There's no easy road for you, small one. Just because you want to be stronger at the snap of your fingers doesn't mean you can do so- you, just like everyone else, must work for your future. Your potential is limitless- don't forget that."

She understood what he was saying. Rena would have to work just as hard as anyone else, if not twice as hard. There were no shortcuts to what she had to do, so she'd have to work longer and harder to catch up. "Thanks, mister! You're right- I need to get back to working hard!"

The man put his hands on her shoulders, and she stared up at him. "Don't squander your potential. You have more than anyone else ever will, a great legacy. Remember this. Most children are born gifted; you will be made gifted with abilities even a god couldn't hold a candle to." He brushed a strand of her hair to the side. "If you work hard enough, you will be able to cheat death itself. Do not be discouraged because people have trained for their strength; work hard. Work harder than anyone else, and reign supreme."

"Um, thanks?" Rena was starting to think that maybe this guy was a little bit creepy. "I have to go now, but thanks for the gift…!" She backed away from the man, turning around, running in the opposite direction, her hope for the future reignited. She would have to train!

A high pitched scream came from that direction. Rena watched as someone rushed past the alley, glancing over their shoulder, their face frozen in terror. A civilian, for sure- and then the blood splashed across her face. "H-Huh?" It was a warm spray, coating her like a thin coat of paint. A shadow cast over the ground. A human-like creature stood, their veins bulging as if they were trying to escape the thing's body. Rena took a sharp intake of breath, about to scream, but the beast already knew she was there as it leaped at her.

Rena didn't know whether it was instinct or a will to live that drove her to strafe to the side as the beast dived for her, but it saved her life. As she pressed against the wall, she glanced down the alleyway- the man had vanished. Her eyes moved back to the growling beast. Foam dripped from its mouth as it again, lunged, faster than last time. Rena's hands were already entrapped in a hand sign as her body flickered away, aiming for the top of the building.

The beast wasn't far behind as its movements followed hers as she jumped off of the walls to get up faster and with less predictable moves. She could feel it graze the back of her heel, tearing into flesh. She winced, but she knew she couldn't stop moving. She rolled away when she hit the floor, only for the beast to crash into the spot she had been.

Rena was scared, terrified, as she reached for a kunai in one of her pouches. Her hands trembled as she stood steady against this new threat. She was in danger, and her mind screamed for her to run away. Still, the blood painting her face told her otherwise. She was a shinobi of the Hidden Sand. Daughter of Sansa. If she ran away now… what would she say?

_I told you, you weren't cut out to be a shinobi._

The thought of all of her friends judging her for turning tail and allowing this monster to slaughter more innocents kept her rooted to the spot, but what she was terrified of wasn't death.

It was losing Gaara.

For her to grow stronger and become the person she needed to be, this would have to be an enemy she faced on her own.

"I won't let you… hurt anyone else!" She declared. Although, saying something like that was more comfortable than putting it into action. As the beast moved around her in a circle, looking for an opening to tear into her, Rena realized that it moved similar to someone else. She couldn't quite remember the face, but she knew Gaara had fought him in the preliminaries. How did Gaara take care of him, again?

She deflected one of the beast's hands, it's outgrown nails reaching inwards to try and gouge a chunk of her flesh out. It hissed as the Kunai she held dug into its palm, jumping away. It was way too fast for her to fight carelessly- if it were someone like Kana, competing at her speed or even just a little bit more as she did, this wouldn't be nearly as hard. She had to focus. Defending would be the only thing she could do until opportunity knocked.

The beast had her on edge as she did her best to dodge, weaving through the attacks. It was pitifully clear that Rena and this monster did not match up as more cuts appeared on her body. "They aren't deep, but if this continues, it's not how deep they are that's gonna matter…" She dreaded to think of Sansa berating her for getting injured.

The beast's hand flicked out, grabbing onto her leg. Its nails dug into her flesh and she tried to hold back her screams, but the pain overwhelmed her. Her cries echoed through the Hidden Sand. Her head felt floaty as she flew across the rooftop, slamming into a wall and crashing through it. Her fingers twitched as she reeled from pain. The demon advanced, breathing heavily, before letting out an angry scream.

_Get up!_

Rena couldn't support her weight right now. Purple bloomed on her pants where the beast had inflicted damage, a fast and steady spread. All she could do was use her arms to drag herself backward, terror filling her as she faced the inevitability of death as she fumbled for the vial the man had given her.

_This thing was different than anyone else she'd fought so far._

_It scared her._

_She was scared!_

The more she looked at the monster, the more its face warped and twisted, becoming a pale, chalky white complete with snake eyes. Her heart began to race as she took deep breaths of gasping air, her hand tightly gripping the vial. She was rooted to the spot. She couldn't move a single muscle.

It crawled forward on all fours, slowly, as if savouring the moment, its claws raking down her leg as it pulled her close and positioned its teeth on her leg. The jaw of the monster stretched wide, nothing but hunger in its eyes, as it chomped down, tearing into her. She let out a scream of agony, trying to push the thing's mouth off of her. She clawed and scratched at its face but it refused to let go until it was ripped off of her.

Sand wrapped around its ankle and tore it from Rena, who let out a cry as it took a chunk of flesh with it. She watched, eyes wide, as Gaara flung it through the air, only for it to be blown in another direction by Temari. Kankuro snapped his puppet's midsection shut on it, and as it struggled, the wood held steady. "T-this isn't going to hold it for long. Damn, I don't think I've ever met anyone this physically strong before..." He'd rather not break his puppet, after all.

Sand flowed from all directions into the puppet and Gaara closed his fist as the beast let out a final scream. "Sand Coffin."

Blood flew out of the small holes that were meant for Kankuro's blades. It was a rush job, but it worked. Gaara turned, his face contorted into a critical, furious glare. He strode over to her. He didn't offer her a hand to help her up. "I'd just finished telling you how weak you are, didn't I?"

"But, Gaara-"

"Is this how you intend to show your strength?! By _dying?! _How stupid can you be? I knew you were fearless, but I forgot somewhere along the way that _fearless _is just another word for _stupidity! _You didn't think twice about this, did you? Not for a second getting into trouble like this did you think about how much trouble you'd be causing yourself _and _everyone else! This is why..." She had never seen him like this before, let alone heard him speak so much. "This is why you can't stand by my side. You only realize something's a problem when you're in too deep. You never stop to _think. _Even when I was trying to kill you, you rushed in _headfirst!_"

Rena tried to process what he was saying, the shock of the encounter wearing off. "But all I wanted to do was help..."

"Stop helping. Your help is _worthless. _The only thing you'll do is get yourself, and others, killed." Her bewilderment and shellshock turned into hurt. She struggled to get up but managed to stand on her own two feet.

"You... you're a real jerk, you know that, right?!" Gaara was taken aback by her response. Why couldn't she just understand that people cared about her? "All this time, I've been chasing after you. Since I got _back, _I've been chasing you! What do I get for it, huh?!" She advanced, limping. Gaara took a step back, startled that she could stand as she was. "I almost get _murdered _by you, multiple times. Then, you act like you don't even know me- and now, you just sound like a clone of Sansa! It's like you don't even have your own _mind _anymore. Why can't you just..." _Understand _is what she wanted to say. She shook her head. "You're just a jerk! I never want to see you again!"

"Rena-" Temari reached for her, but she body flickered away, leaving speckles of blood. Temari glanced at Gaara. His face was ashen, much more pale than usual as he shook. "Gaara...?"

"I need to be alone for a little bit."

Temari knew it would be a while until they could live normally as siblings. He didn't know how to rely on them yet. She also knew that if she pushed him, it could hurt their relationship even more.

"Alright, Gaara. We'll be at home if you need us." Temari nodded to Kankuro, who was silent. The look on his face was only what Temari could describe as lonely. He followed her without a word but inside his head, he was replaying Gaara and Rena's argument over and over again.

It made him uncomfortable. Kankuro and Rena had never argued the way she and Gaara did. It was like she wasn't afraid to just completely say what she's thinking. Around him, however, she sounded... quieter. To the point where he was afraid he would drown her out if he spoke.

What was the difference between him and Gaara...?


	30. 30 - Someone to Listen

Rena rushed through the Hidden Sand, wanting to get as far away from the Sand Siblings as she could. Why couldn't anything have a clear-cut answer? Why did everything have to be so _complicated!?_ She was so frustrated, so done with everything that was going on, that she realized; it had been a long time since she relied on people. Someone other than Gaara, that is. She just wanted someone to talk to, and Suno and Tsukiyomi never turned her down for that.

Thinking back, Suno and Tsukiyomi hadn't really been around recently. Sansa had said something about training them, but all she could remember was that Suno was meant to be a medical shinobi. She remembered a greenhouse somewhere in the northwestern part of the Hidden Sand.

It took a few stops to ask for directions, but she finally found herself at the giant, glass doors of the Sand's pride; their medicinal herbs. Although Rena didn't understand much about the village's history, she remembered small parts of what she'd been told every now and again.

As she pushed open the door, she saw Suno, standing beside an older woman. She hid further behind it- which was stupid, considering the fact it was all glass- and peeked over the edge.

Suno, on the other hand, stared down at what he was trying to heal with empty eyes. It'd been days since he'd been home. His frustration bubbled to the surface as he felt like he was worthless; if he couldn't do this, something as stupidly simple as this, what was he really worth? Even in the Chuunin Exams, he barely managed anything. Tsukiyomi took all the weight upon her shoulders.

He'd never really come to peace with the way he'd been created. He was envious of Tsukiyomi. Even though she barely had any emotions, feeling nothing at all is better than being unable to feel anything for anyone but your creator. The only person he cared about was Rena. Did he even want to? If he wasn't forced to, would she really be someone he wanted in his life?

What he was wouldn't let him answer that question. He had no choice. Free will was an illusion. All this time, he'd been trying to grasp other people, pull them closer to him, break his heart free of the chains that 'Rena' had placed on him.

_The light in the area was dim. The candle in the room flickered as Suno's head pounded. He grasped it, glancing up to the table. Should he feel sick at what he saw? It was just a corpse, after all. Even when looking at it, he didn't see anything he should care about. It didn't occur to him that it was wrong, or that it shouldn't have happened._

_And these memories…_

_Were they real, or illusions?_

_If they were real, they couldn't have happened yesterday. He didn't exist yesterday. Who was he? Who did he want to be? These questions were automatically answered in his mind._

_He was Suno Akagari._

_He existed to protect._

_Nothing that would come before, or after, would matter as much as his mission now._

_His head thrummed painfully again as he tried to collect his thoughts and form a cohesive sentence in his mind, but his brain was pounding against his skull as if it was begging for escape._

_There was so much pain, all over his body._

_"Don't move. You'll tear open the stitches." Suno glanced up at the purple-haired girl, her gaze cold._

_"Why am I here? I feel… wrong. Why am I alive? This…" The girl pressed a finger to his lips. The closer she got, the stronger his urges got. He realized, quickly, that this is the one he is meant to protect. To serve. "M-Master…" The word stumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it. She was taking over his senses and he didn't like it._

_"You're not just a puppet, Suno. You're different inside. Special. I had to put you together with all these different kinds of parts. It wasn't me that brought you back to life, though." On her cheek… was that a tattoo? It was a black spot. He reached his hand up, trying to wipe it off, but it wouldn't smear. "Akito made you different. You're not a false being, Suno. You're real. I disbelieved in what I could do, but Akito's power is intoxicating. Maybe this is my purpose. I lost so much, Suno, that I need something to fill that hole."_

_"What are you…? Who is Akito?"_

_"Oh, Suno. You're a part of him. He is a man-made god, just as I will be. Just like my family intended for me."_

_"I don't understand… it hurts…"_

_"Rest, Suno. All pain fades with time."_

Suno still didn't understand what the Rena of then meant. She was cryptic, barely explaining anything, never stopping. Even then, that was his only chance to rest. Any other request for stopping for anything was denied.

And then, she died.

He'd collapsed. It was as if the world stopped, infinite darkness where he wasn't conscious, and a minute later, he reawakened.

Fifteen years later.

It was as if no time had passed. Only dust settled on his perfectly preserved skin and the first thing he saw was a pair of dead brown eyes staring back at him. Master Sasori had reawakened them in advance, somehow aware of Rena's state. He was taught to speak again, how to walk. Things he had somehow temporarily forgotten, but he learned fast. Tsukiyomi lagged behind, but she was stronger than him. Faster than him.

He had asked Sasori about her, but all he said was that it was better Suno didn't know.

_"Who is she?"_

_"Nobody. Not anymore, at least."_

_"Why won't you tell me who she really is?"_

_"Because that's up to Rena, not me."_

_"Rena would never tell me anything."_

_Sasori paused for a second, deliberating. "Tsukiyomi was the daughter of a foreigner who fell in love with a member of the Hyuga Clan."_

_"What…?"_

_"You have no history. Your body is a bunch of parts and a makeshift soul, Suno." Sasori's words cut deep. "Tsukiyomi was a part of a war over forty years ago, thought dead. Honoured by the Hidden Leaf, but forgotten to time. The only ones who would recognize her are most likely only in the Hyuga. Nothing about her changed. All I did was hollow out some of her body and add more parts. I used a forbidden technique that Rena gave me, brought her back to life without her memories. Tsukiyomi is someone." Sasori turned to Suno. "You are nobody. Nobody misses you. Nobody remembers you. You are all alone in this world. Even if you die, nobody will cry for you. You'll be laid to rest either in an unmarked grave or fed on by crows in a ditch. Is that the answer you were looking for?"_

_Suno couldn't respond. Although he felt nothing for the man in front of him, he was sure he was supposed to feel hatred. Hatred for saying such cruel things, being so smug about it._

_But he couldn't, because Sasori was helping his master. Sasori wasn't hurting his master, so Suno's mind couldn't be upset with him._

Rena herself was an oxymoron. She was supposed to be dead. He remembered her as cruel and uncaring, her desires self-serving at best. Her loyalty to her family was steadfast. He'd never met her family, though. Not until recently.

Yet, when a smaller, younger version of the woman he used to know appeared in front of him, he was afraid. Afraid that he'd go back to being a mindless puppet with no answers, walking around in the dark as choices were made for him.

But she was different. She was just as scared as he was, broken, unable to form cohesive words. As she trembled, in his arms, his senses went wild.

_Protect._

**_Protect._**

**_PROTECT._**

And for once, he saw value to the words in his mind. He could actually see himself doing so. The person before him wasn't the person he once knew. He couldn't describe it, but he welcomed the affection he felt for his master. She didn't order him to do anything. She showed her emotions, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

All he could do for her was take away her pain.

She stopped trembling when he tampered with her memory. She'd been so afraid, but she'd gone so quiet. He blurred out all of the painful moments, made them hard to remember. Pain didn't have to heal with time. Time was bullshit. If this child was going to die like his previous master, then he wanted more time. More. He didn't want to waste it trying to fix her a different way.

And he was right to do so. The bounce in her step, the happiness, all of it was worth it. She spent a little while with them back at the cabin, with Sasori. He swore he felt… happy. Happy at what looked like misery, at Sasori's expense. Maybe it was just an illusion too, being able to feel freely, but he wanted to believe in it.

He wanted to protect her smile at any cost. It was different to serve someone who was like her, rather than an insane, crazy person who clearly had mommy issues. Of course, there'd been someone who hadn't shared his enthusiasm.

Tsukiyomi.

He couldn't just tell, it was in her actions. She was eager to retrieve her previous Master. Whether she knew it or not, he swore she was changing, as proven with Su. He hoped he was right because being wrong meant that she'd do whatever it took to get their old master back.

He still didn't understand how it was supposed to happen, another thing Sasori didn't explain. All he'd said was, _"She won't have the will to resist it. Her mind is weaker than her true self. She'll become a magnum opus again."_ He didn't get it. But, Rena would have to change… for her to be able to retain her will.

[The Spinning Song - Lizz Robinett]

He felt fear, fear of her being unable to change, fear of life going back to the way it used to be. Fear of being unable to feel for anything but himself and Rena. "Suno, you need to pay attention!" The harsh voice of his teacher cut through his thoughts as he pulled back his hands from the injured squirrel, which had been writhing in pain.

"I'm sorry." He didn't mean it, truly.

"You seem to be stuck in your thoughts. You need to learn self-control. Your mind isn't here, in the moment, where it should be when healing any living creature. What you're doing now only leads to you overwhelming and harming the creature with your unsteady chakra." His teacher, Yukari Ikoma, walked up to him, placing her hands over his. She was immune to his flirting, so he stopped somewhere along the past few days. "It looks like you're more focused on putting it out of its misery than mending its wounds. Even so much as a slight change in your strain of thought can make or break the healing process. Our chakra isn't _magical_, even if others may think so. It's a tool, meant to be controlled. That also means it can be used as a weapon. _We_ shape the form of this tool. It takes the form of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and more. The most important lesson I can teach you is that you're just as capable of hurting the people you want to save if you don't get into the right frame of mind." Yukari was one of the few better medical nin in the unit. After Chiyo's resignation, she became the go-to. She was competent- nothing legendary, though. A good teacher, in Suno's opinion. It was just _him_ that was the problem. Although Suno had chakra, he didn't know much about it. He didn't know much about this world. It's like all the spots that should've been filled with knowledge were blank. Yukari's hands rested on his shoulders as she gave him a soft smile. "I know you can do this, Suno. You have the potential. I am positive that you have large reserves of chakra, you just have trouble _focusing._ When you need to focus, take a deep breath, in and out, and think of yourself in a beautiful place, with no sound."

"This is stupid."

"Come on, close your eyes."

He shut them. He was trapped in darkness. He didn't like it.

"Think of a location that you've seen in a picture, or in a book, or on a poster, that seems peaceful. A place where you'd like to go. It could be a place where you've been before."

He thought for a moment, before settling on a small waterfall. Stepping stones allowed for passage along the slowly-moving water.

"Now, imagine it without a single sound. You could hear a pin drop."

The leaves of the trees that offered shade over the pond blew in the breeze, swaying back and forth gently. "I can't hear anything, happy?"

"Don't speak. Now, imagine a hummingbird coming right up to your face. It'll flit around, from side to side, before gradually becoming slower."

His imagination began to slow, the flap of the hummingbird's wings slowing as the blur turned from unintelligible to the outline of the bird's wings. He watched in awe as it moved at a regular pace, its wings resembling a fairy's."Let the background fade. Focus solely on the hummingbird, and nothing else." And like that, the background faded away, the only thing remaining the floating hummingbird.

"Now, open your eyes." His eyes slowly opened. Was it just him, or was the world around him brighter? He placed his hands over the squirrel, gathering all of his chakra in his hands as he hovered them over its body. After a few moments, it got up and scampered away. He watched in awe as if it hadn't been wounded in the first place, it climbed up one of the trees in the greenhouse. He could feel a warmth in his chest, and a smile stretched across his face. Usually, he only felt this way if… As he turned around to look at the door, he swore in the distance he could see a flash of purple, but it was gone as soon as he'd noticed it.

Was it just another illusion?

"Suno, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Can you teach me more?"

Rena couldn't disturb Suno. He was working way too hard for her to bother him! She didn't know where she could find Tsukiyomi, either. It was like, with each passing day, she got further away from the people she wanted to be close to. She didn't know how to close the expanding gap. It felt like there was a hole in her heart and she had no way to fill it.

Sansa dashed through the Hidden Sand, following the path of the man she hated. Kinju was faster than her, for sure, but that was only because he was riding on a literal cloud of blood, ducking and weaving as Sansa was lead on a literal goose chase. As he went in circles, hanging upside down, with one hand in his pocket he gave Sansa a wave and a cocky grin.

"You asshole!"

"You know what they say about not being born a Hikari. You're cursed with lesser blood." Kinju turned down another alley, but Sansa wasn't having it. She ascended to the top of a building, knowing that catching up with him would mean she had to use the knowledge of this terrain better. And, more importantly, chase him out of the village before beating him to a bloody pulp. As she followed him, another joined the fray, floating beside him. His blood was a white-bluish hue. Sansa realized who it was instantly.

If he was here, that was bad. She wasn't so sure she could hold her own against him. Maybe Kinju, for sure, but Yuuto? He absorbed knowledge at a ridiculous rate. The only difference between them was that while she could think up tactics on the fly from the beginning, the longer he stayed in battle, the more dangerous he got.

Not to mention, if threatened enough… the entirety of the Hidden Sand would be in danger. Without a Kazekage or even a ninja that could do the same amount of damage that Sansa could, the village could potentially fall within ten minutes. If Gaara was stronger, he would definitely be able to help, but he was at fledgling level at the moment.

The only other answer to her problem would be Akito.

She shook off the thought. That monster would just be more of a problem. Although it held a vicious hate for the Hikari, that doesn't mean it'd cherish working with Sansa. She looked down at her body, opening her shirt a little.

A black paw-print was tattooed on her collarbone. The sign of the contract with Akito. It was a shitty thought, but if she used it, she wouldn't be able to contact Akito again for reapplication of the contract…

Which meant this would be her only chance. She'd kept herself from aging for long enough. Everyone had to die sometime, and Akito's presence in the food chain warped things unnaturally. Maybe this was fate's way of saying it was time to grow old again.

What was she thinking? Fate had no bearing. Either way, she'd protect the Hidden Sand, even if it was at the cost of her 'immortality.' If she could call it that. All she knew was that Akito's mark was a one-and-done. If you kept it on you, then you wouldn't age past a minute. It's not like it gave you anything else. It wasn't true immortality. You still felt pain. You could still get hurt. You could still die to any mortal blow. It didn't make you any less human.

She'd lived for over two hundred years already. That was more than enough time. More than enough suffering she'd caused other people. Now that Rena was reaching the point where Sansa can train her to withstand what was coming without any distractions and hardships, maybe it was time to finally use Akito's cursed, unnatural power for something other than self-gain.

Sansa wished that she could've told Baki about Akito. She could tell him about anything else, but Akito was unique in the sense that even Sansa had no idea what he was. She'd seen the form of the monster, but what they called him was God.

She'd come to understand that he wasn't a tailed beast. Only those in the Hikari, a few in the higher ranks, were permitted to see him. In fact, after Rena's birth, nobody even mentioned that God of theirs anymore.

_Sansa held the crying child in her arms, the seal on her back fading into a skin-color. It cried and cried as if it was in pain, unable to stop its own rain of tears. Sansa didn't understand much. She'd been serving Lady Owari for fifteen years now. Was Sansa born in a room just like this, to a mother who didn't want to look at her child?_

_A woman who sent someone to leave her on the street and hoped that someone would pick her up and take her home?_

_Maybe she was lucky Owari found her. Sansa wondered if the child would be loved, or hated, like she was._

_All she knew that was despite the beast in this small child's blood, she didn't want the girl to have parents like Sansa's. Sansa wanted to reach above and beyond and be something better than her parents were._

_Still… she feared what was inside the child. It was unnatural. A tailed beast at least fit in with the land, but this thing was a void of negative energy, consuming tears like children ate candy. Even as the baby cried, the tears sizzled and burned away, the pain of the heat only causing it to scream more. "Is she going to be alright?"_

_"That's up to her, Sansa. I gave her our beast. She just needs to survive its gift."_

Owari had been a reckless mother. She refused to accept the child until it survived. Thankfully, by some miracle, Rena did. Sansa only hoped that same miracle would allow her to live in this situation.

_**【 Miku-tan】 [2011] [ENGLISH] E? Aa, Sou.**_

She grabbed a kunai, and, drawing her arm back, threw it at its mark. It zipped past Yuuto's cloak, which he removed, letting float gently down into the crowd below as he turned. "Hey, Doc, watch the road!" Kinju called, but Yuuto was much more graceful and fluid in his movements as he ducked and weaved, all while his eyes never left Sansa.

He'd already had more than enough time to explore, didn't he? And from that, he probably filled in the empty spaces of the map with a sensible hypothesis.

Although his insane ability to map the area was concerning, there was more to be worried about from him. As his mouth began to form silent words, a grin stretched from ear to ear, more emotion than he had shown in years.

_"I_

**_Found_**

_Her."_

Sansa's burst of speed may have been attributed to the loss of the seal on her chest as waves of black consumed her legs, her chakra being infected by the inky darkness. Her knee slammed into the man's face, his glasses cracking and falling from the sheer force as she twisted her body around his and attempted to choke him out.

It definitely wouldn't be good enough as he reached into his lab coat and procured another pair of glasses, replacing the ones he'd lost. A true Hikari couldn't die to the loss of air. Drowning, maybe, but even then it was unlikely.

After all, all they needed was oxygen- and they could control their blood. Maybe if she could hang on for more than a few minutes, she'd be able to kill him, but the tips of his hair fringed gold and she let go, dropping onto a nearby rooftop and getting some distance. She could see the glint of his changing blood in the sunlight. All of the colour blue was sucked out of his body, replaced with a pure white. He pushed up his glasses and Sansa moved just in time before the wave of white blood crashed into where she'd been.

If his heart was beating any faster, anyone in the vicinity would be able to hear it.

Even she couldn't fight a Blood Sage. His self-control had to be infinite. After all, there'd only been three known Blood Sages in the entire clan, of which Rena hadn't achieved yet. It was too dangerous if used too soon before one had control over their sense of self, desires and wishes. Sansa saw the man before her as a threat to the entire Hidden Sand and yet she knew she couldn't do anything about it if he decided to attack them all.

Kinju flew beside Yuuto. "Do you really need to use that on her?"

"I'm not going to not eliminate a threat just because you want to fu-"

"I don't!"

"Keep insisting that, see if I believe you any more than I did the last time."

"Didn't Owari want to keep her alive, or something?" Yuuto stared at Kinju, his eyes communicating what he thought was too stupid to say in words. "What?! I'm not actively trying to defend the enemy or anything, it's just that Sansa is clearly weaker than us so we shouldn't even bother. If Lady Owari sees her as an insect, she's an insect, right?"

"..." Yuuto sighed, the blood from his attack on her flowing back into his wrists. What he couldn't put back in, thanks to his extremely fast production, he just dumped on passerby's, who screamed when a white, sticky fluid rained down from the heavens. "Happy?"

"Won't that make them sick?"

"Fuck if I know. It's not usually toxic to other Hikari."

"Other Hikari aren't usually able to poison each other with their blood."

"I dunno, maybe, I guess? Never used it on people I thought were unworthy."

As they continued their chat, although Sansa wanted to catch up on them, she felt like the dispersal of his Sage Mode was a warning. If she continued to chase after him, would she be all right? Would the Hidden Sand be okay? If she let them get away…

She still had more than enough power leftover from Akito's mark. As it all moved back into the seal on her body, she hoped that they'd just leave the Hidden Sand alone. It wasn't prepared for another war, should they take insult to her attacking them.

"She stopped chasing us." Kinju looked back, stopping midair as he stared back the way they came.

"What, you want to stay?"

"Why do you think she stopped? Does she think we're not worth her time or something?"

"No, probably the opposite. She knows more about us than anyone else. Only someone stupid would risk getting into a fight with two people equal to or greater than their strength. Sansa probably let us go in hopes that we'd just leave rather than terrorizing her people."

"You know, I figured you'd be much angrier since she broke your jaw."

"It's nothing that can't be fixed. If I couldn't control my body, I'd be more concerned." Yuuto shrugged. "What annoys me more is that she's probably going to take what I gave Rena."

"What did you give Rena?"

"Something that would help her be more of a Hikari."

"Didn't you tell her not to give it to anyone else?"

"I figured by telling her it was valuable, she would know not to go around giving it away. It would kill anyone who tried it." Yuuto shrugged. "I have experiments to do. I need to find a new test subject on our way back, so don't complain."

"I figured you'd say that. Can we at least stop at a-"

"No."

"You're the only person who wouldn't be scared of telling me no."

"I'm positive that nobody is scared of telling you no." Yuuto drowned out the sounds of Kinju's words as he thought back to the moment where he'd taunted Sansa. Normally, she would have just brushed that off. In her older years... she was getting softer, wasn't she? That would spell her end if she didn't rein that in. Yuuto didn't want to damage someone who could be an asset to their cause, nor leave Rena without someone to guide her into her strength in this world.

Now that he thought about that...

Wasn't it just the same for him? He was getting progressively softer, not striking a killing blow, hesitating?

"Maybe I'm getting sick."

"Blood rejection?" Yuuto glanced at Kinju. "No? It was a good guess, you have to admit."

"The last time I had blood rejection, you were the doctor. You told _everyone _they had the beginning symptoms _of _blood rejection, causing mass panic in the clan. It was just a common cold making its rounds."

"Shouldn't have trusted me to play doctor, then."

Yuuto wanted to tell him he was wrong, but he made a good argument. Instead, Yuuto sighed. "Shut up, Kinju."


	31. 31 - A Lesson In Patience

The strangers in the Sand had finally departed, and Sansa had paperwork to do. It was a period of silence after a storm, rare for the Hidden Sand. Sansa approached Merui's door, but stopped when she heard voices within.

"You can't do this. That funding is what's getting me through the academy!"

"I believe I can and I will. The Kazekage funded you out of his own pocket and yet you haven't shown results, not once. Why should I continue to waste my money on you when he couldn't even get anything out of you?"

"If you cut that funding, I'll have nothing left! Please, give me more time to prove myself!"

"Your graduation is in two weeks. There's nothing to prove."

"I'm at the top of my class in written exams!"

"Yet you have nothing to show for it off paper. Every mock mission ends in the same complaints. You can't work with a team, so why bother training you any longer?"

"Please, just wait two weeks! Don't waste the funding already spent!"

"How dare you think you can tell me what to do? You're a mere orphan, a side project picked off the streets of Sunagakure. You may be a part of this village, but you are as worthless to our progression as an outsider!" Merui's hand slammed against something and Sansa could hear the crack of wood. The old hag must be angry. Sansa waited in the hallway, leaning against the wall as she heard the other voice speak up.

"Fine. You'll regret this, mark my words! I'm worth more than you think I am!" As the door swung open, a girl no older than Sansa's child left Merui's office, staring at the older woman. "What the fuck are you looking at?"

"Language." Was all Sansa could reply. Sansa was aware of this orphan, as she had to be. It was a big village but if she didn't keep track of who came and went, then she wouldn't be much of an ANBU. Chiaki. She became an orphan the same day Sansa had lost Rena. Her father had run away when she was born, became a missing-Nin in the bingo book after stealing some funds from the Hidden Sand. The girl had a hard streak in life.

What Sansa hadn't known was that Rasa was funding her out of his own pockets. The more secrets Sansa uncovered, the more guilt built in her chest. As Chiaki stormed past Sansa, Sansa entered Merui's personal home office. "Intruders in the Sand? Were you able to apprehend them?"

"They got away, but one of them was taken care of by the Sand Siblings. They seem to be from the Village Hidden in the Sound."

"Really…" Merui's thoughts converged. Orochimaru wouldn't send more envoys in daylight, would he? And definitely not just two people if he meant to attack. Something didn't add up here. "Sansa, you wouldn't kick off our partnership by lying to me, would you?"

"I have no reason to lie. They used strange jutsu I haven't seen before. I don't know who else it could be that has jutsu like that other than a village that supports Orochimaru." Sansa's brows contorted in frustration. "There wasn't any wall guard found dead or missing, so I interrogated them. They say they let through a registered supplier, but there was at least four that day. I'll be contacting each family name to make sure that they were present and interrogate them for an alibi."

It made sense that Sansa wouldn't know about some of Orochimaru's experiments. She had, after all, only been used in high-scale battles, and she hadn't been around for long enough to know of the jutsu of the past. "Slow down, Sansa. You asked to be Kazekage. I brought it up to the others, and although surprised, they agreed. Your place isn't on the field anymore- you can't travel."

Sansa's jaw locked up, but pressure released when she conceded. "I understand, Merui."

"For now, do what you see fit to protect the Hidden Sand. I'll see to the interrogation myself. We'll be holding an inauguration for you tonight." It was all just pomp and circumstance. Sansa couldn't be accepted as a true Kazekage. However, stand-ins were common until the true lineage was able to take their place. It was more typical for the Kazekage's wife to take the mantle, do the paperwork and calm the people. Since Karura wasn't alive and Sansa was the last person to be with the Kazekage in any way that anyone knew or acknowledged, Sansa was the default. A perfect scapegoat for Merui to control- she had basically handed herself over on a silver platter to be demonized for the murder of Rasa. She had been trying to pin the blame on Rena, but what was the need when she had the perfect fool right in front of her?

Sansa nodded and bowed as she exited the elder's chambers. Thickening guard would do nothing for the Hidden Sand if their problem was people pretending to be something they're not. The only solution she could imagine would be a screening for everyone who wanted into the Hidden Sand. Their current closed-borders identity check wasn't enough. As Sansa was stuck in her mind, she paused when the light of the sun hit her eyes, shielding them from the rays. As she removed her palm, she found herself standing in front of two gravestones, buried in the soil under a wilting tree.

It had been a while since she came here. The last time was just before the Chuunin Exams. Karura had always wanted a simplistic grave, something anyone could visit without having to dress up- no monument. Her simple wish had been to be buried with her husband.

And a fresh grave lay beside the woman's. A beloved father and a hardworking Kazekage. She ran her fingers over the inscription, wondering who bothered to make the grave. Merui? No. Well, maybe. Working under that woman made her sick, but it was what she had to do. For once in her life, she knew that there was something other than Rena that needed to be tended to. Something she couldn't just ignore and shove to the backburner.

Merui's crimes would not pass Sansa by. She knew. Merui acted like a snake. Just mere weeks ago she'd attempted to execute Rena and have her tortured and now there hadn't been a single mention of her child since. Why would Merui quiet down so suddenly? The answer was obvious. Some way, somehow, Sansa had given Merui an opportunity to do something. Maybe pin all of the animosity for the Kazekage's death on Sansa herself rather than her child. At least this way, temporarily, Rena would be out of Merui's sights… and her newfound closeness to that old cunt would open up a path for her downfall.

"Sansa," The woman turned to meet the eyes of another council member. Ine Kuki stood before her, a small sympathetic smile on the woman's face. This was someone Rasa trusted infinitely, even though she was only a part of the side-branch of the Kuki family. She wasn't a strong shinobi, but she was a smart one. It made sense she would be able to find Sansa before Sansa even knew where she was.

"Ine. Didn't expect to see you here." Her eyes moved back to the graves, her shoulders relaxing. "While you're here, I do have a favour to ask of you. I need you to watch over Rena. Keep her busy. It's better that she's further away from me right now."

Ine sighed, walking up to stand beside Sansa, her expression sullen. "Someday, Sansa, you will have to learn how to _let go. _Children will find their own way in the world without anyone telling them how to do it."

"Not today, Ine."

"Then when? The more time you spend away from her, the less you will have overall. Our job is dangerous. Do you _really _want to someday leave this world with the regret of not having spent any time with her?"

"That's exactly why I can't spend time with her, Ine. For this place to be safe, we have to successfully pull this off. It's better she's not dragged into this as a suspect when the deed is done. The last thing she needs is a target painted on her back by a vengeance-seeking family."

"You're so stubborn, Sansa. I understand that you think you're protecting her, but you will someday have to acknowledge that someone seeking vengeance won't just ignore her existence as something that can hurt you just because you're not constantly at her side. Being your family is what paints a target on her in the first place." Ine placed a hand on Sansa's shoulder, who flinched at her words. "I'll do what I can, but you must think about spending at least a _little _bit of time with her. She is, after all, your child. Don't waste the time you have. It might be too late, you might fall on the battlefield, and you may die with too many regrets." Sansa felt it as Ine's presence disappeared, as was the skill of the Kuki. Sansa was left alone with her thoughts, an empty, echoing chasm filled with nothing but her mind, worries, anxieties and frustrations.

She covered her ears, crouching down to the sand until it brushed against her knees, trying to block out all of her invasive thoughts.

**X**

* * *

**X**

Rena had come out here with the intention of training. She knew that everyone else was trying their hardest to get stronger, yet she just stayed as she always was- barely scraping by, pulling off feats like it was some sort of miracle she wasn't dead already. _Everything _was always a close call. She barely even felt someone's hand touch her shoulder as she hoped her intense glare alone would crumble the wall before her. Why was it so hard to think of how to train on her own? _How did people find a way to progress? _She was coming up blank. Wasn't this basic shinobi stuff? If she couldn't train... "Am I less of a shinobi just because I don't know how to do anything...?"

"You simply haven't gone through academy training. They teach you the basics of the regiments you want to be on. Self-training is the hardest thing you can do, especially if you have no prior experience."

"Oh. That makes sense." Rena nodded, her mind descending into deeper thought before snapping out of it as she screeched, jumping back a few feet. "W-Wait! Who're you?!"

"You don't remember me?" To Rena, it was just another old woman. Even if she had recognized her, there was no chance she'd remember from where. "That's a little rude. I vouched for you, didn't I?"

"Vouched?" Ine had Rena's attention now. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know yet? I have moved for you to take a late-class in the Academy. You'll be instructed by the same people who taught the Sand Siblings."

"Really?!"

"Don't get so excited, child." Ine shook her head. "If we're to believe the reports about the Chuunin Exams, you need to _prove _your worth. I've been given a month to catch you up on the way things work around here. I'm going to turn you from civilian-minded to shinobi-minded. You have three trials to perform this month. I will oversee _all _of them. If you pass, you can go on to the next test. My trials will dictate whether you're allowed in the Academy or not, and from there, you'll be tested once a month on prowess in order to dictate whether or not you remain." Ine could see Rena's eyes light up. She hoped the child wouldn't be nearly as difficult as Sansa.

"Um, I don't understand half of what you're saying, but I get it! All I have to do is pass the tests, right?" Well, there were points for eagerness. "What are they? I'll pass them all right now!" Too eager. Deduct points.

Ine sighed, before examining Rena, lifting up her arms. "You seem like you'd be weak at Taijutsu, and I doubt you're promising in Ninjutsu, but we can fix that. Genjutsu? Not even a chance. I'd be insane to bother. You don't seem to have the patience or tact for it. However... hmm, yes, that's a good trial for you if we can just iron out that flaw of yours..."

"Um, what?" Rena's mind was running at a mile a minute as her confusion overtook her.

"Never you mind. We begin training for the first trial now. Follow me."

"T-Training?! Wait, why are we training for training?" Rena ran in front of Ine, holding out her arms to stop the old woman, who merely moved so fast it was like she'd passed through Rena. As Rena wildly looked around, searching for her, she saw her on a rooftop. "Hey, wait! Why do we gotta train to train more?!" Rena body flickered after her, but every time she reached Ine, the old woman disappeared. She began to get annoyed after the third time.

"Where did you learn body flicker? You haven't been taught before, have you?" Ine appeared behind her, causing Rena to almost jump out of her skin.

"I was taught by Gaara! It was one of the first Jutsu I ever learned!" Although her response was short and to the point, even as Rena looked at her, Ine faded out of being. Rena tried to shake off the weird haze in her head, but she could barely remember Ine's face, let alone her words. What _was _this?

"An untrained Genin like you is easy pickings for the Kuki Clan. You're untrained; your mind is open to the effects of my Kekkai Genkai." Ine looked Rena up and down once more. Could she _really _train this Genin before the time-limit was up? This would be difficult even for someone who took a couple of classes to get down. She had to learn in a _month _what others had years to learn. The basics, at least- something that was second-nature to a ninja. If she could prove to the rest of the Elder Council that Rena was good enough for the Special Class, then...

There wasn't enough Genin in the village, let alone Chuunin and Jonin. Sure, they had the prime families as shinobi, but there were so many more potential ninjas waiting for their chance to shine. This was where the Special Class came in. In special circumstances, when the village was lacking, they'd open up their classroom doors to three prospects, and three alone. Most of the family's children were set to enter the academy next year, of which there were five, but for the rest of the year, they'd train those three lucky shinobi up and release them out into the world. The only issue is, while the Kazekage usually selected each of them for the honour, he was gone now- so that fell upon the Hebidoku Family in place of the Suna.

Originally, this idea had been coveted by the wife of the Third Kazekage, who wanted to open the doors to more education for those that needed it. Unfortunately, the village pushed back on that idea, requiring more funding for other projects they deemed more important. The Third Kazekage's wife's voice was drained out in the crowd, but her husband had wanted so fervently to do something for her. If nothing else, the Sunai were dedicated lovers. Ine remembered it fondly, the way that the Third had bent to his wife's will in a small, yet so impactful way.

The Fourth's wife tried to push for more funding for education as well, but it fell through. She had taken it upon herself to teach children out on the streets, claiming that even if the Hidden Sand didn't want to climb out of its own poverty, she'd still do what counted for the orphans- she managed to open up an orphanage, despite the Elder's protests about harbouring the weak.

_The strong must protect the weak._

That had always been Karura's way. Being an orphan herself, she knew the rough-and-tumble of the streets she walked. She _wanted _to make it better. Ine remembered the day she'd picked Karura up and brought her home- the look on her husband's face. Although Karura was no good for offence or defence, she was a great medical-nin. Ine supposed that had something to do with both being taught by Lady Chiyo and her care for the inhabitants of the Hidden Sand.

_"Ine, you can't just bring anyone home. We have our honour to uphold." Togata's face looked like he had eaten something sour. Ine rolled her eyes, laughing gently at the prospect of him trying to act so pompous. "I'm serious this time!"_

_"You mean that **you **have your honour to uphold. I'm mere side-branch rabble, right? So, it's okay that I bring someone like this home. She'll clean up nicely, I can tell- and she'll be a true friend to your little brother."_

_Togata stared at his wife before a soft smile broke across his face as he looked at the girl. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Togata, but you already know who I am, don't you?"_

_"You're someone who won't do anything for the village! Of course I know who you are!" Her eyes were accusatory as she trembled before the man, bunching up the fabric of her skirt in her hands as she grit her teeth. Togata's heart was hurting, Ine could tell. She felt bad for both of them, with Togata being backed into a corner by the Elder Council as always, the people seeing him as useless- and the petite orphan, who had nothing but her gusto and whatever Ine had fed her. _

_"I'm sorry. Will you tell me your name?"_

_The girl looked surprised as if she hadn't expected the man to react kindly to her lashing out at him. She looked to Ine, who nodded, allowing the girl to relax. "I'm Karura."_

"I can do it!" Rena's insistence broke Ine out of her memories. There was a certain fire in her eyes that reminded her of Karura's quiet, gentle flicker that made Ine take to the girl in the first place. The two had their differences, but they both seemed to _care _about something so deeply that progression was the only way forward. Karura had never been afraid to speak her mind. "Just let me take your trial!"

"Fine." Ine sighed, placing her hand on Rena's head. "But you have to promise me that you'll undertake proper training before requesting to undertake the trial. No complaints!" The way the girl looked at her, her eyes shining as if stars were reflected in them, made Ine smile. She hadn't felt this kind of warmth for someone since... well, everyone she cared about died. Her last family member had died recently, as well. It's a shame when a child dies before the parent- Ine hoped that would never happen, but it was so. Karura, too. "Let's go." As Ine motioned for Rena to follow, Rena found herself being led down more winding streets. The Hidden Sand was so confusing, with some paths only shinobi could cross. It was as if it was made to be a labyrinth. However, Ine navigated it like direction wasn't even important. As they stopped before a small house on the other side of the Hidden Sand, a little run-down and shabby squished in between two shady-looking shops, Rena stared it down.

"Is this really where you live...?"

"Not everyone can be rich, you know. Our economy isn't doing well. It never has- we all relied on the Kazekage's gold dust to get us through the low points, but now... well, our village is in a bit of a bind. If we're attacked, we won't be able to repair houses nearly as fast, and our position in trading with other villages has been suspended indefinitely." Rena hadn't known any of this before. Was the Hidden Sand really... as poor as Ine made it seem? "Our economy sucks. Our military might is fractured because of our losses, but even before it wasn't doing well. And as for our people... businesses struggle to make a living here and remain open. We have a limited amount of civilians, and the shinobi who do have children are tasked with holding their job while training their own. As a result, even though our Family genin may be strong, everyone else is weak. A shinobi is only as good as their teacher. We're in a dangerous spot where at this point, the only thing we could've done was work with the new Daimyo and..." Ine's mouth closed. "That's nothing a child needs to know about. All you need to know is that the Hidden Sand will be fine for a few years more."

As they walked into Ine's house, Rena was astounded by the number of books and scrolls that covered every surface, including the floor. A thick coat of dust lay over the surface of almost everything, with garbage bags building up in the corner. A fluffy white dog bursts out of it, bounding toward Rena as she covers her face. It tackles her to the floor, barking, it's tail wagging haphazardly and knocking over a stack of books. "Is this a ninja hound?!"

"No, that's just a normal dog. He's only a year old. His name is Fuwa. He doesn't get nearly enough exercise, so you'll be taking him on a walk now."

"Wait, what?!"

"It's all a part of your training, Rena Hikari. Here's the leash." At the mention of a leash, the dog's ears perked up, the look in its eyes as if it had gotten into a years-worth supply of energy drinks as it began to bounce viciously up and down. It ran in circles, barking until Rena leaned down to try and clip the leash onto its collar. It wouldn't sit still, moving every half-a-second, excitedly.

"H-Hey! Calm down, don't be so impatient! I'm doing it! I'm doing it- wait!" As soon as the dog had thought the leash had been clipped on, it dashed past her, slamming into the door. Backing away, it staggered a bit, but turned, looking goofy as its tongue lolled out of its mouth and its tail just kept wagging. "Is this dog... stupid?" Rena muttered, before scampering closer and attempting to clip on the leash again, moving through its fur to get to the little notch. After a minute, she finally succeeded, standing up. Ine, however, opened the door and thus it began as Rena felt her body be yanked in a direction. She tripped over a hole in the floorboards, hitting the ground as the dog charged forward. She screamed as it dragged her out the door and down the street.

"Hopefully she'll learn what I'm trying to teach her." Ine shook her head, closing the door behind Rena. "And maybe Fuwa can learn a dose of patience as well..."

Over the course of the next few days, Rena was put to work in Ine's home. Her tasks included taking care of Fuwa, who still charged the door whenever he thought the leash was on and smacked right into it, cleaning and dusting- by far, organizing the scrolls was the _worst _job.

"Hey, Fuwa, don't chew on that!" Rena had snapped, trying to pull the scroll from the dog's mouth. Unfortunately, it was torn to pieces as Fuwa's teeth scraped against it, causing the shredded paper to burst into the air and float down gently as Fuwa ran in circles excitedly before trying to catch each individual piece with his mouth, jumping and bouncing on his hind legs. "You'd better hope that wasn't important!" Ine's shelves were littered with half-rotting scrolls, things that Rena had to throw into a garbage bag.

Rena's next order of things was to get rid of the garbage, which she had to _pay someone _to do for her. She had no idea where it went, but whoever took the garbage didn't say what they'd be doing with it, only that they needed it. It was creepy enough that she didn't want to ask questions. The dusting took her hours, days even. And when she had completed all of the tasks in the house, including washing the dishes and the bathroom, everything sparkled. As she turned to Ine, who'd just gotten home, Fuwa ran back and forth in the kitchen excitedly, as if he was exploring new territory, sniffing everywhere. "I did it! It's time for the trial, right?!"

"Not yet." Ine shook her head, before opening her back door.

"What..." In Ine's backyard, an extremely overgrown garden sat, dead plants covering the majority of it. Fuwa bombs sat in the heat of the sun, flies buzzing around them lazily. "Ine, I don't see how this is training! Why do I have to keep doing this?! I don't want to do this anymore! I'm not here to just clean your house and your backyard and take care of your dog for you!"

"Although this just seems like menial work, Rena, a life of a shinobi takes extreme dedication." Ine's finger slid against one of her countertops as she searched for dust. "A half-assed job in the shinobi world is your death. This frustration you're feeling now as if you're not progressing at all _is_ your training for the first test. You will feel this way for the rest of your life. You will succeed, and you will fail. That is what it means to live as a human, not a shinobi. Patience is required for your goal; If you give up on something as simple as what I'm asking you to do right now, you aren't worth training. Who says that you won't give up when the going gets tough? I need to _know _that you have the strength and resolution to do what it takes to follow this lifestyle." Ine places her hand on Rena's shoulder. "If you feel like this is too much, then you will _never _be able to stomach this lifestyle."

"You're supposed to be teaching me the basics!"

"This is as basic as it gets, Rena. The deciding factor of whether you will make it or not. So, you have the option to walk out that door and become known only as the wife of the Fifth Kazekage, a marriage you have no say in, or you can remain, tough it out, and show the Hidden Sand you have what it takes to be more than just a _wife._" Rena didn't know whether or not she could handle a future with Kankuro. In her mind, running through it, marrying him and having children with him didn't _seem _right. She didn't want her future decided for her. She wanted to make her own choices.

"I... don't want to walk out on this yet."

"Smart choice." Ine gestured to the garden, which Rena begrudgingly set into, prepared to take on Fuwa's droppings.

The sun began to set in the sky as Rena finished up, to which Ine called her inside. She'd been so engrossed by her task, her hope driving her, that she hadn't been paying attention to the time. When she walked in, she saw a welcome sight- a hot, steaming banquet of all different kinds of food laid on the table. "This is amazing!" She rushed over, taking in all of the scents and smells.

"I prepared it while you were in the garden. Your first trial begins tomorrow."

"Really?" Rena's eyes lit up as she prepared to dig in. "That's not a trick right, there's nothing left to do, right?"

"Well, don't eat a single bite."

"What!?"

"I'm kidding. I'm not going to train you in self-restraint," Ine watched as Rena began to gobble down food, "Yet." Rena didn't like the sound of that, but what counted is that she had food in front of her now. "By the way, you haven't been home in a week. Are you sure that's alright?"

Rena's fork dropped from her hand. The meteoric change in attitude and the look on her face as if she'd remembered that she'd forgotten to feed her dog about two years ago told Ine all she needed to know.

"Pack this up, then go on home. Return here in the morning."


	32. 32 - Vivid Dreams

All was quiet in the Hikari house. It seemed like nothing was stirring, not a cat or a mouse. Yet, there were three silent inhibitors of the house, ones who rarely came out of their rooms unless it was to leave or to get food. This had been going on with a week, with only them in the house, making it uncomfortable. Although, it gave Ikari plenty of room to move around outside- as long as he didn't run into Sansa.

However, it came to that awkward point in time when the three in the house, Ikari, Su and Kagura, had to run into each other and all at once. It was a Sunday night when all of them flocked to the kitchen. As Ikari swept into the cooking area, he placed his hands on the counter and glared at Su. "You should come back later. I'll be using this for a while."

It was Kagura that decided to step up. "I'm hungry _now, _peasant. How dare you deny me my right?" The two locked eyes, glaring intensely as Su seemingly stared at a plant in the background. She _thought _she was looking at them as she spoke, her voice gentle and quiet.

"We shouldn't waste electricity and food. I'm sure if we all cook together, we can-"

"I can deny you whatever the fuck I want to. You're not royalty, little boy. Just because you have a pretty face doesn't mean you can boss me around, you know!" Ikari's eyebrow twitched. Why did he have to look like a _girl? _He didn't know how to deal with this ladyboy. It wasn't like he wasn't attractive, after all, but damn it all if it wasn't confusing him!

Kagura's ego took a tiny pinprick of damage as he puffed up his chest, the tone of their argument shifting. "I acknowledge your beauty, Ikari. You're handsome, but you shouldn't hold yourself so highly! You are lacking in every other category, especially when next to me! When I, a ten, am around, you are a mere three in comparison!" Kagura brushed his hair out of his face and gave Ikari the cockiest grin he could muster. "Only _little girls _like a dark and edgy boy. Real women like _real _men who don't look like they just crawled out of an evil organization recruitment drive." He'd been reading manga lately. "A real man wouldn't stoop to your level, and real women wouldn't want you."

"I could care less about women or girls. They mean jack shit to me."

"What about Rena?"

"She's-"_ A way to get ahead,_ but he couldn't say that out loud. It was almost scary how automatic he'd answered her. He'd have to watch his replies more carefully- he caught his tongue this time, but the next might not be so lucky. "My future girlfriend." He said with a flat, uninterested tone. Well, she didn't look all _that _bad. She'd look better if she brushed her hair, but the route to power meant sacrificing his time to romancing a somewhat ugly girl. That was fine, too. As long as his lie had a bit of honesty in it.

However, his attempt to weave an illusion was shattered when Kagura stepped up to protest. "Someone who's _actually _interested in someone in that way would be way more cute and bashful about it! Especially when they say something so bold! You're lying!"

Ikari could feel the strings of self-restraint snapping inside him. He was going to _blow. _He thought he'd gotten his anger under control since he was a kid. He couldn't lose it because of some _backwoods royal reject. _He took a deep breath. He just had to hurt Kagura more than he'd been annoyed by the boy. He'd feel better if he made the kid cry. "If you want to be a girl, Kagura, you'll have to do better than gossip and girl-talk with other women. Let's be honest, no matter how long you grow your hair or slather your face in makeup or how many stupid _dresses _you wear, you'll never be anything more than what you are; an ugly ladyboy."

The look on Kagura's face rivalled the moment he'd been disowned. He held Ikari in absolute contempt as he stormed forward, grinding his teeth together in frustration as he searched for something to say back. "Just because I dress _like_ a girl doesn't mean I want to _be _a girl. I have the right to dress however I want, _without_ judgement."

"Really?" Ikari stepped forward, that shit-eating grin spreading across his face. "You're doing it to get guys to like you, aren't you? That's why you're able to so shamelessly be buddy-buddy with my future girlfriend. That's why you want to share a room with her. Are you even a man? Have you no shame?"

Kagura flushed as Ikari got closer, taking a step back. Kagura bumped into the back of a chair, nowhere to go as Ikari advanced. Maybe this wasn't so bad; he really _was _a guy. Suddenly, Kagura didn't affect him so much. "I'd be your first time if you put more makeup on. Wait, no. A bag over your head to hide all of your manly features. Because in the end, you're a trap, right? It's all fine if you look like a girl, but you'll never have the parts. I don't think being into _guys _is allowed in this world. Did your father know? Do you think he's turning over in his grave thinking about what a _disappointment _his son was, trapping guys into thinking he was a girl?" Tears welled in Kagura's eyes. Huh. He really did look like a girl. Ikari felt a slight pang of guilt in his heart, but it disappeared when he remembered what he was representing- the Hikari.

He felt hands slam into him as he was shoved down to the ground. Su stood over him with clenched fists, boiling over with rage. "First the Chuunin Exams, and now this?! You don't treat _anyone _kindly, do you?! You don't have sportsmanship and your only pastime is hurting others with cruel words! I don't think you care about Rena at all! Your only concern is _yourself!_" Ikari was frozen, staring at Su as she grabbed Kagura's hand. "Let's go out for dinner, Kagura, you can choose the place and I'll pay. As for you, Ikari, I hope you _rot _here in your own _kindness. _Must _suck _not being able to leave the house."

Ikari was frozen as all he heard was the door closed behind her. It took him a minute to realize what had just happened. Rage set into his blood, his anger flaring as he stood, throwing the chair Kagura had knocked into to the ground as he rushed up the stairs, each step a stomp. He kicked open Su's door, breaking the lock, grabbing onto the nearest piece of furniture, a lamp, and smashing it open on the ground. Shattered glass spread across the ground. He ripped open her dressers and took out her clothes, tearing them apart with his bare hands. How _dare _she talk back to him in his own territory?! He was _superior. _He beat her in the Chuunin Exams, nearly within an inch of her life! She'd squirmed in his shadow, gasping for air as the hole in her throat denied her any!

He let out a primal, rage-induced scream, grabbing her dresser and hauling it out of the window, the sound of glass being shattered filling his ears once more. He pulled her mattress off of her bed and shredded it with his nails, fluff going everywhere as he took a shard of glass and stabbed it into one of her pillows over and over again. The bite she'd given him was imprinted in his mind as he screamed again, collapsing to the floor. Blood dripped from his hand where he'd grabbed the pointed glass shard, and blackened tears dripped from his eyes as he tried to pull himself together.

_This wasn't who he was anymore._

He tried to choke back his sobs, rein in his emotions.

_He wasn't a stupid child who threw temper tantrums like this._

He curled up in a fetal position, his chest heaving as he took long, shallow breaths. He could hear the wheezing coming from his mouth.

_There was so much they expected of him. He wasn't some minor annoyance, he was the future of the Hikari clan. He was going to __**be **__something. Someone would __**need **__him. _

Even if that meant getting into a relationship while he was so young?

_No, he couldn't think like that. He'd been given an opportunity. _

Was she _really _the one he wanted to dedicate his life to? He wanted power. He _needed _power. He needed to be _needed. _The Hikari were his family. He was honour-bound to them, even if his parents couldn't accept that. They would accept his flaws. Rena didn't have to be his forever- there were other women, after all, and the Hikari weren't known for their monogamy.

His breathing slowed, his sobs became small hics.

He had a greater destiny than crying on this floor, no matter what the cost was. He was sure. This was the path he had to take. He chose it for himself, so why be so scared of it? At best, his future Empress was a naive little girl, easily manipulated with kind words. There was no rule that she had to be alive for him to be Emperor. He could shape the clan to his liking, with or without her.

**X**

* * *

**X**

Rena walked down the street, holding bags of food that Ine had given her. She was glad to finally get a day off; she couldn't believe she'd been gone for a whole _week. _Ine had really kept her busy! She was so happy that she'd have food to share with her friends. The last time everyone had sat together for a meal was, well, the Kazekage's funeral. And she couldn't think of a time when she and Gaara-

Her face fell as she remembered the current state of their relationship. He'd been so _cruel _to her. She wasn't so sure she'd be able to face him or even invite him. There was no guarantee he was even in at this time. So much had happened since their last meeting- most namely, Ine's training, the fact she'd be able to go to the academy if she passed the three trials... It was all so exciting! She wanted to share it with someone. Her head perked up when she saw Su and Kagura together in the distance, walking toward her as they looked around.

"Su! Kagura!" Rena waved to them both and Kagura bounded toward her, a smile stretching across his face. "I brought home dinner!" When his face fell, Rena was worried she'd said something wrong. "What's up? Aren't you happy to get food?"

"Oh, um, it's not that! I'd love to eat this! Where did you get it all from?" Maybe Kagura still didn't feel comfortable in Sansa's household... it was understandable. It lacked the luxuries of his previous life. She wanted to make it as comfortable for him as physically possible!

"Well, it's amazing! I got it as a reward!" She held it up a little more. "It's all home-cooked and super healthy, meant to give us all energy! A friend made it for me after I did something for her!"

Kagura's eyes sparkled. It was clear he hadn't had a good meal since he'd been in the capital. She felt kind of bad for him. It wasn't like she could cook, anyways- she never even tried, though. There wasn't much to do when you were trapped in an underground dungeon. "I'd love to eat with you, Rena." Su gave her a warm-hearted smile. Rena rushed over to her, giving her a hug.

"I missed you, Su! I'm sorry, I always get caught up in something whenever I want to spend time with you. I don't mean to!"

Su would've said something about her tendency to go off on her own and leave her behind, but hopefully, with this, that would end. She didn't want to capitalize _all _of Rena's attention, only a little bit. It wasn't Rena's fault she was always busy, right? It's just the way life is sometimes. At least Rena was acknowledging her mistakes. "It's okay! We all get busy!" Su gave Rena the biggest smile possible. Her precious friend... someone she cared for dearly. It put a sour taste in her mouth when Ikari spoke about her, but maybe bothering Rena with it now wasn't any good... after all, this was supposed to be a happy time. Words began to tumble from Kagura's mouth, but Su spoke over him. "We would love to join you for a meal at home!"

Although Kagura's expression turned sour, he said nothing about it. He wasn't too happy about being forgotten, nor was he happy about going home to eat- and most likely share a meal with Ikari, of all people.

**X**

* * *

**X**

When they walked in the door, Ikari was a changed man. He sheepishly looked from one to the other, before sighing. "Sorry. For what I said before. I was just hungry." In truth, he wasn't sorry at all; just in case they'd told Rena, he needed to do immediate damage control and make it look like he'd been waiting for them to come back as he stewed in his false apologetic agony.

Su was in disbelief. Ikari, apologizing to her? He didn't even apologize for the things he said in the Chuunin Exams. "What are you talking about, Ikari?" Rena asked, blissfully unaware of the snake in her home.

"Just a small domestic dispute, nothing serious. Words were exchanged, and I feel like I was unfair to them." Su didn't buy it. There wasn't a chance in hell he meant it. However, a smile stretched across Kagura's face.

"I understand! I, too, become insufferable when hungry! Angry! Hangry! Is that a word?"

"Not really, no, but I'm glad you guys made up. Just in time for some really good food, too!"

Su stared Ikari down. Kagura was way too forgiving. Couldn't anyone else other than her see through Ikari's deceit? These cruel words hadn't been a one-time thing. Su was going to open her mouth to say something when she paused. Kagura had already forgiven Ikari. That in itself would damage any credibility she had with Rena if she tried to go after Ikari right now, and, most definitely, Rena wouldn't accept it and make her apologize- all because Ikari had apologized in front of her. Right now, it wasn't smart to kick the hive. There had to be a moment where Ikari would show his true nature in front of everyone, and when that happened, Su would be there to jump him.

Right now, however, the spread Rena was setting up before them looked pretty succulent. Su decided that rather than starting something she knew she couldn't win, she'd put aside her feelings for today, to have dinner- as friends, as companions, and hopefully, eventually, as family. She hoped Rena would come to see her the same way as she felt- that Rena would eventually understand her, and her feelings.

**X**

* * *

**X**

It had been a good dinner. Most of the night had passed in funny jokes and joyful conversation, a spare moment in which they could all enjoy each other's company with no strings attached. When everyone left the table to go to bed, Su had offered to clean up. Kagura followed in Su's footsteps, allowing Rena to go to her room and get ready for bed. It was comfortable to sleep in her own bed, rather than just Fuyu's dog bed. Although, she did miss the bundle of fluff. Fuyu had always been comfortable, even though he was a little bit rambunctious. As she settled into the covers, her eyes came to a close, and nightmares of the past rose in her shifting, changing mind...

"My dearest daughter, Rena." She could feel nails dig into her skin, keeping her face in place as purple eyes stared into hers. "It's time to die again, now." Terror shook Rena to her very core. She couldn't move under the piercing gaze of the woman who claimed to be her mother. This wasn't Sansa- this wasn't her mother?! But if so, _who _was this? "Suffering makes us stronger, my dear. You're not angry at me, are you?" The woman's other hand moved through her hair, stroking her head gently. "Come on, offer yourself. You know that it is you, most of all, that must suffer. Out of all of us, your sacrifice is what makes you the strongest. You've given _everything- _what's life in comparison?"

Rena opened her mouth, prepared to reject this psychotic woman that wanted to claim her life, but words that felt like they weren't hers escaped from her lips. "Yes, mother. You honour me. Anything for our future. Anything for the future of the Hikari." She felt the pain as the woman's hand pierced her chest, tearing through flesh. Blood poured from the wound.

"Forgive me if your death wound scars your next body." The whisper was harrowing, scratching away at Rena's mind as her heart was crushed in Owari's hands. Her sight faded to black as she collapsed. When she opened her eyes again, standing before her was a woman clutching a flower in her hand. A sand rose. Rena approached her cautiously, walking forward. The woman turned to look at her, and all Rena could see through her mask was the glint of her purple eyes.

"**He** makes you weak. **He** is a distraction that we do not need. **He **is someone I will kill with my own two hands, upon the day of my resurrection." Black flame surrounded the sand rose, causing it to turn to dust and blow away in the wind as the woman's hand loosened on the stem. Blood dripped from underneath the mask, but Rena wasn't sure where it was coming from, only that it stained the cloak of the stranger before her. "But that's far away. And these are memories that do not yet belong to you. They are _mine. _You cannot take them, not like you've taken everything else from me."

"You're speaking in riddles! I don't understand! Who is _he?! _And what do you mean, these memories aren't mine?"

"It took me a while to recover from my losses, caged bird." Why was that phrase so _familiar? _Where had she heard it before...? "But I'm back again, and you're invading _my space._" The background faded into being. Another sense of deja vu washed over her as she stared at the night sky, destroyed buildings in the distance. It was the Hidden Sand, but there was something _missing. _She couldn't put her finger on what, though.

The only difference was a man, speared through by what looked to be solid purple javelins, his turquoise eyes glassed over. Red hair blew in the wind. Rena swore this person looked familiar, yet it was... _off. _"This is the future of your fate with that boy, child." She could feel the masked woman's hands on her shoulders, urging her forward. The weight in her hands changed, the javelin in her hands staining them with a bright purple.

"N-No..." She looked up, the eight-year-old Gaara standing before her. As if some force compelled her, she thrust the spear toward him, the sound making a brittle _crunch _noise. The boy collapsed to the ground. Suddenly, something shined through her memory, sending the masked woman flying backward, unable to defend herself.

_She stood in a beautiful field of flowers, the Masked Woman nowhere to be found. Children stood, playing with one another, their weak and malnourished bodies holding steady. A little girl stood before her, her eyes yellow, her hair white. She had sunken eyes and a pointed, sharp nose. Her lips reminded Rena of a bird beak. The girl offered Rena a crown of flowers, which she leaned down to allow it to be placed upon her head. "The princess of the flower kingdom has been crowned, by me, the Queen!"_

_A voice rang through her head. **"My dearest daughter, show me your worth... do as I bid you. Kill. Slaughter. Kill. Kill." **Each word resonated through her body, driving Rena to do something that she... felt indifferently about. How could she feel nothing at all, imagining murdering these children? Why didn't she question it? She rose her hand, pressing her index finger against the white-haired girl's forehead._

_"I... am the true Queen." _

_"That's not how the game works!" Blood burst from Rena's body, the tendrils spearing all of the other children in a split second, leaving only a mortified queen, sobbing and shaking before her. "W-What are you doing?! This isn't... this isn't part of the game! Why aren't they... why aren't they moving? That looks scary and painful!" _

_"Your clan is an abomination, Eyes of Death. For that, you must die." The little girl before her hyperventilated, her eyes turning a deep crimson as the reaper around her coiled. And for a moment, Rena saw death, something she'd evaded for many years. And then she was gone. It hadn't been painful. It hadn't felt like much of anything. Looking into the girl's eyes for a moment, she understood the base of what fear meant, and what it meant to die, respectively. Although it might feel like the hundredth death, death was nothing to someone who would not stay dead. _

Rena shot up in bed, breathing rapidly. She could feel something _buzzing _behind her eyes. It was a slight ache, but that dream... was _scarily _vivid. Maybe she was just letting her imagination run away from her, but there was something about the girl's eyes that made her feel so _real. _She had only slept for _thirty _minutes, though, which was impossible to her. It felt like hours. She settled back under the covers, trying to close her eyes and get at least _some _sleep before the trial tomorrow.


	33. 33 - The First Trial

In a damp and musty cave, a girl sat, nearly naked, on a rock. She looked young, but what was most curious were her binds; wrapped around her eyes were a ton of musty, rotting cloths and a few seal tags. Her white hair fluttered in a light breeze as the rock sealing the cave moved to the side, and someone entered her haven. She could hear water dripping from the ceiling, her chains rattling as she shoved herself off of the jagged sediment.

To anyone, it would be a bizarre sight. An extremely malnourished, weak-looking young girl shackled by her wrists and ankles, purple bruises and scratches reaching up to her arms, clearly from having to deal with the binds. You could see her ribs poke out from her skin, a sign of weakness and hunger. "Have you come to feed me?" She opened her mouth, her teeth white and straight. As the person before her, some random stranger whose name she did not know, shovelled the tasteless slop into her mouth, she chewed thoughtfully. "When is Orochimaru going to let me be free?"

"..." The person before her did not answer her.

"Come, now, nobody will know you've spoken to me. Aren't you curious how I survived all these years? I'm sure they tell stories about me."

"I already know what you've done, witch." The smile faded from her face. She wasn't sure she wanted to respond to that or not, but they only fed her three times a week and this was the first answer she'd gotten in a long time. How many years had it been? One hundred? Two thousand?

"Doesn't it irk you that he gives me what I want when I want it?"

"If he gave you what you wanted, you'd be out of this cave." So this one was smart. "I know who you are. I know what you do to children. I pray you never know what it's like to be a mother."

It kind of annoyed her. Once upon a time, she would have happily mothered her child with no regrets. That had all been ruined when her clan's future had been slaughtered. All but her returned from the mountain plateau that day. When the mothers realized what had happened, one by one, they'd thrown themselves from the mountain-tops, hoping for a quick and painless death. She would once have given her life to birth a child, as many in their clan had. It was rare for anyone to be with child and even rarer for someone to survive the birth process- especially if the member of the clan was female. The children were so fragile, they could easily die moments after leaving the womb.

But not anymore. Children were no longer a thought of the future, but rather, preserving the revenge of the past. _Rebirth_ was too slow. It was so _fancy, _getting your old body back. Getting your old abilities. No, before her, all children trembled. She had once been known as the Witch of the Mountain, a child-eater, someone that took the place of a mother's beloved daughter or son.

That was until she met Orochimaru, and he _infringed _on her abilities. She was allowed to see once a lifetime with him, and only once; when she used her Kekkai Genkai to obliterate the soul of a child and take its place in their body, leaving her old, fragile body behind. Unfortunately, this didn't work so well on shinobi. Of course, her teeth grated together at the thought of being locked here when the one she wanted to slaughter over and over, Rena Hikari, walked free, living a _happy _life.

No, she didn't get to do that. She didn't get to _murder _fifteen children of her clan and get away with it. Even if she must wait, she would do so; Orochimaru would fall eventually. Besides, all it would take is one naive fool to let her escape her bonds. So far, they've all been well-trained like guard dogs, but she could _feel _the wind of change. Her reaper whispered into her ear, speaking of death and life, it's invisible hands resting on her shoulders.

_Their kingdom will fall, my Eyes. As you so will it, my child, you will gain..._

She was the last child of death.

**X**

* * *

**X**

Suno stood in the greenhouse where he'd been training for the last while. It was hard work, but he couldn't be distracted from it now. Even if he needed to pull an all-nighter, he'd get this done. He _had _to get to the next level of his training. He'd done all of the practices in the first book, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to become stronger than he was, stronger than Tsukiyomi.

"You look like you're having fun with that book."

He jumped, turning to see a girl about Rena's age in front of him. She gave him a grin. "O-Oh, didn't expect anyone to come here this late."

"It's fine. I'm Kaori. I come here at night sometimes to get away from everything." She walked up to the tree, a flower giving off a gentle, blue glow. "There are some beautiful plants you can only find in this gorgeous greenhouse, and some of them are only active at night. It's nice."

"Nice to meet you, Kaori, I'm Suno. A medical-nin in training."

"Well, I'm kind of just a sidekick... or something." Kaori gave a small smile, but Suno felt it was off- it didn't seem happy, despite her outward demeanour. He'd been here for some time, but he'd never really bothered to explore too much. He supposed the flowers around here were pretty, although he didn't pay much attention to them unless his studies called for it.

"I've never seen you around before."

"Well, you'll be seeing a lot more of me. I graduate next week." Of course- she was still his age, kind of, so she needed to go to school and all. He wondered if she was from some kind of rich family; he'd heard his schooling was privately funded by Sansa herself, out of a need for more medical shinobi. However, that didn't mean that _everyone_ got that kind of treatment; which meant that the girl before him was different than the rest of the Hidden Sand. In other, more blunt words; not poor.

"Congratulations, Kaori." He wasn't sure what else to say in the fact he didn't know her all that well, although his assumptions based on what he'd heard and seen so far were _all _he needed to know, in his opinion. Still, he was curious enough to open his mouth again. "Are you studying to be a medical-nin?"

"Oh, gosh, no. Also, I don't think that kind of thing warrants a 'congrats'. After all, we're just children fighting a war that doesn't belong to us." Now, _this _interested him. If his ears were out, they'd be twitching aggressively along with his swaying tail.

"A war? I don't know of any war. Did we start one in the Hidden Leaf?"

"Mmm... I don't think so, but that remains yet to be seen... I guess what I'm saying is more of an example than reality." Suno finally stopped what he was doing, walking over to her and focusing on solely her.

"Explain further? You have my interest now."

She sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "Well... someone like me..." She cast her eyes to the floor, looking both disheartened and flustered at the same time. "What I'm trying to say is that all of us are being trained for the same thing; fighting for our village and country. What we're fighting for is _funding _and _money _and a way out of poverty- Poverty our generation didn't create, nor is responsible for. We can blame our ancestors for that... or in some cases, our current relatives."

"I see your point. It's true, I'm here and I don't even have one of those _Families _you denizens of the sand appreciate so much."

"Family is just another word for disappointment. Don't get too bent up over the fact you don't belong to one of them; they're dusty old traditionalists." Suno opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud voice calling into the greenhouse.

"Kaori Hebidoku-o, I told you not to leave my side! You're supposed to make me look _better, _not worse!" Kaori turned to the sound of the voice, her mouth hanging agape as her eyebrows furrowed. She turned to Suno.

"You need to hide! If she found out I'd been talking to a low blood shinobi, I'd be severely punished!" Kaori whipped her head around, searching for a hiding spot. She grabbed Suno by the arm and shoved him toward the tree. "Hide behind it!" She hissed, before turning around abruptly. Although Suno owed her nothing, he complied, wondering who could put such fear into the girl who seemed apathetic above all. He peeked out from behind the tree and what he saw was a blonde-haired girl their age, clearly a noble with her expensive clothing and ash-pale skin. The girl grabbed Kaori's arm rather roughly, glaring daggers at the poor kunoichi.

"Explain yourself, Kaori Hebidoku-o!"

"I apologize, Lady Hebidoku. I didn't mean to depart long enough from your side for you to find me not there- I only desired a breath of fresh air."

The girl's anger only intensified as she gripped so hard Kaori's skin turned red. "How dare you? Didn't I tell you to stop being so well-spoken? Act like your education is behind mine! It's the reason we held you back in school! Remember your place as _property _as a side-branch of the Hebidoku clan, got it? You're not deserving of the name, not even with the prefix on the end!"

"I'm not gonna pretend like I'm smart no more, Lady Hebidoku. I swear it." Seemingly satisfied, the blonde girl let go of Kaori.

"Then let's go back home, little Kaori Hebidoku-o. I'm glad you understand your place." The noble began to leave, and Kaori shot a glance at the tree Suno was behind before leaving without as much as a single word. Suno waited until he was sure they were gone, before stepping out from behind the tree, sighing as he glanced at his failed project. The squirrel he'd been healing moved no more. He didn't feel much other than frustration over being distracted. He'd have to find something or injure something, to make ends meet. Maybe if he was lucky, he could find a similar-looking squirrel and present it as fully healed to his sensei.

Still, he wondered if he would see Kaori Hebidoku-o again.

**X**

* * *

**X**

Sansa sat with the Elder Council, reorganizing her notes. She'd been rehearsing forever, and she was finally at the end of her pitch. "And that's why I believe strengthening the security on our walls and our borders will prevent criminals from slipping through either. If we use the tactics I've presented, less shinobi will find themselves injured, and we cover a wider range without having to send nearly as many." The Council was silent as Sansa's words sunk in. The first to speak up, however, was Izanagi.

"Although strengthening security is well and good, the people of the Hidden Sand are feeling major losses right now. Many died in the invasion of the Leaf, not to mention the fate that befell the Kazekage. Even I... have lost someone." His voice held a bittersweet tone of regret and sorrow, but it was soon washed away by his always-neutral, boisterous tone. "There's been a demoralizing cloud of negativity hanging over Sunagakure, and I think we should do something, no matter how small and insignificant people may think it to be, to try and bring morale back to the Hidden Sand."

Sansa gripped her coffee cup, knowing that her home was in a sorry state. "What do you suggest, Izanagi?"

"I think we should hold a fireworks festival in two days, at night. Small-scale. Have a clay tablet set up in the middle of town where people can write the names of the deceased, so we can hang it up in our halls. I want to bring hope back to the hearts of our people, and give them even the smallest slice of peace possible."

"What a ridiculous notion. Something such as a display of fireworks and a clay tablet will do nothing for our soldiers."

Izanagi banged his fist on the table, causing Merui to jump. "Shinobi are people as well, Merui. They're not toys for nobility to fight wars with, and they're not pawns to be endlessly thrown at the enemy with nothing in return! Our village deserves _more _than that treatment."

"I agree with you, Izanagi. We should hold this festival. Maybe even give it a name, one that correlates with the tragedy? As a way of remembering the fallen." Although Merui was glaring at Sansa for her speaking out, Izanagi's face softened.

"Thank you, Sansa. I'll take care of all of the preparations. On behalf of my fallen son, his wife and his children, I thank you. You'll make a fine interim Kazekage."

**X**

* * *

**X**

Rena stood before Ine's house at the crack of dawn. She felt a bit intimidated by the fact that her first trial was imminent; if she failed, after all, she'd be unable to return. As she opened the door, Ine stood, waiting for her with a smile. She walked forward, gesturing to the kitchen. Rena followed, but Ine stopped. "In gaining power, many forget that adversity gives way for adaption that nobody would think possible. Only by having obstacles in your life may you grow to rise above them." Ine had a thick piece of black cloth in her hands. "You must learn adaption. You must learn how to think on your feet. You have learned patience, and that is the first step to greater understanding." She reached behind Rena's head, and Rena watched as the darkness obscured her vision. "You find frustration in being unable to progress. That is because you learn differently than others; up until now, it's clear that all you've done is rely on your brute strength, instinct, and copying the actions of others. Take your inability to learn and make it your strength; focus on honing the senses. Then, expand from that knowledge, and become strength itself."

Rena could feel the air around her whoosh by. As she felt a hand press into the small of her back and press her forward, her knees and hands hit a slick, wet, thick substance. She crashed into the ground and rubbed at her cheek with her arm in an attempt to get it off her face, the substance smearing across her face. She sniffed; it had a strange, earthly smell- not as nice as Gaara's, for sure. It smelled a bit sour, and the longer she smelled, the nastier it seemed. She shook away her thoughts, standing up, only to slip in the mixture again. She heard a _woosh _by her ear, followed by the sound of Ine's distant voice.

"You will receive no help or hints from me, Rena Hikari. This terrain is yours to master. You have forty-eight hours to complete this trial." Rena heard an echo. Where could she possibly be in the Hidden Sand that had one? Seeing as the travel distance was short enough from Ine's house, Rena couldn't see this being some sort of cave network. There was no way this could be outside, as she couldn't feel the heat of the sun coming down on her. The substance she felt was cool and squishy. Was it mud? It had to be. Rena didn't know of any place in the desert, save for an oasis, that would possess mud. She wandered forward, reaching her hand out. She paused and drew back as she finally made contact with something.

"Ow!" Her hand had touched something sharp, and she could feel stinging pain on her palm. She steadied herself, breathing in, before reaching out again. Although it sliced open her fingertips, she knew now that what she'd been hurt by was razor-sharp shinobi wire.

It was clear she couldn't proceed like a bull in a china shop. She didn't know where the wire was, nor how much of it there was. Still, she'd suffered worse than this; it wouldn't bring her down. No matter what, she had to advance. It became clear, however, that she had no knowledge of passing time; as she continued on, cuts and incisions would make themselves clear. Her skin felt sore and raw, and she felt dizzy; it had begun to turn cold. Was it night now? She wasn't sure how far she'd progressed, but she'd kept track of where she'd been in her mind, mapping out the path she had already taken. A sharp hiss left her teeth as she felt wire cut into her skin again. Part of her wanted to sit down and give up, but Ine's words echoed through her mind, driving her forward.

She couldn't fail. If she did, then she truly was good for nothing other than being a Kazekage's trophy wife. She would _not _let a couple of pieces of wire stop her! As she stood to her feet, a wire cut her cheek. She winced, moving further forward. She let out a groan of pain as she tripped over a lower wire, crashing into the ground. One that had been there dug deep into her ribcage; she was tired and hungry. Weak.

Her thoughts moved toward Gaara.

His red hair. His sad smile.

Did she prefer the Gaara of then, the Gaara of yesterday, or the Gaara of now? Today, he was a strange mix of what he'd been in the Hidden Leaf and who he was as a child. She didn't understand it. It was _okay _for him to hate her, or to find her useless. As long as he was truthful about it. But like this, she couldn't tell what he really wanted. Still, no matter what words he threw at her...

She couldn't stop her heart from loving him. She grabbed onto a thread above, using it to pull herself up as it sliced into her hand. She advanced, more intent than ever to finish this. This was more than Gaara. This was even more than herself. She couldn't explain what motivated her. Maybe it was a mix of everything that had happened so far. Even so, she wouldn't stop! She moved forward, and even though she could no longer think of smart ways to get around the wire, all that kept her going was her will to succeed. She paused.

There was a feeling of warmth and a cool breeze on her skin. She reached out her hands, and, feeling a lightly jagged surface, she could tell it was rock. She moved around a little bit before she could no longer feel the coolness of the wind. She moved back to the area the heat and air were coming from, and, determining there was no exit, she knew that it was coming from above. As she dug her nails into the wall, she pulled herself up, ignoring the pain of what she was sure were wounds. She continued to climb, even though she fell multiple times- crashing into the ground, which knocked the air out of her. She'd get right back up, climbing the wall again, learning the places she could and couldn't grab, what would and wouldn't break; and like that, she finally felt what seemed like a surface she could pull herself up onto. As she heaved herself over, she felt herself tumble down; it was a short fall, and the sand didn't hurt much. She felt someone's hand graze against her cheek as the blindfold came undone. She winced as her eyes adjusted to the glare of the sun, seeing Ine with a smile before her.

"Congratulations, Rena. You've passed the first trial. Care to guess the terrain?"

Rena thought for a moment. It would be easy to simply turn around and look at it, but she wanted to get this right without cheating. "There was an echo, and the floor was strangely muddy for such a dry, arid desert. It seemed to be an extremely large space, and the wall I had to climb had me go some ways up the wall; so... a old, unused well?"

"Good job. Good shinobi know their location, for sure, but better shinobi can adapt to the terrain around them. You'll never know where you're going to end up as a shinobi, and while knowledge is preferable, sometimes you have to assess the space around you in a heartbeat to survive; sometimes, your enemy will know the terrain better than you. In this case, you must use everything in your immediate vicinity around you to win. You must dictate whether the terrain is advantageous for you, or your enemy. And finally, last but not least, you must remember that patience is your ally in all battles." Rena felt Ine brush her hair out of her eyes as something slid into it, a little heavy for her taste. She winced, as it pinched for a moment, but soon the pain subsided. "This is my reward to you for your success."

Rena reached up, her fingers brushing against the metal of the hairpin she'd been given. "A hairpin?"

"It was made by the First Kazekage. Typically, it's a marriage item, but Karura..." Ine looked away, her face seeming sad for a moment, before moving back to its usual kind smile. "The point is, I believe that there are people who would think you worthy of this item. You should go and get cleaned up at home; It's been twenty-six hours."

"W-what?! I was there for that long without telling Sansa?! God, she's going to MURDER me!" Rena vanished, almost instantaneously.

"How is it that she becomes that much faster when she's scared of her mother?" Ine laughed, before calming herself with a deep breath. "Lord Third Kazekage... are you still watching?" She glanced up at the sky, a gentle, sad smile aimed at nothing in particular. "She reminds me of you, you know."


End file.
